by senior columnist Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Erica Adams
Things got tasty when a crowd of media and foodies got together for a preview of the upcoming D.C. Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show which is coming to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on November 3rd and 4th. (Hollywood on the Potomac team shown above – photo by Daniel Swartz, Revamp)
The gathering, at local favorite Cuba Libre, got people chattering about the hundreds of food and beverage merchants preparing to descend on D.C. along with a parade of celebrity chefs.
Show founder Denise Medved and Cuba Libre Chef Guillermo Pernot welcomed the crowd and gave a peek at what to expect at the upcoming show. Circulating throughout the night were some of the restaurant’s signature cocktails as well as sandwich-themed bites, all as a hint to the surprise guest who was preparing to appear via Skype….Food Network’s “Sandwich King” Jeff Mauro.
Mauro was jovial and entertaining as he munched on a Cuban sandwich that he received via FedEx earlier in the day (a first for the Sandwich King). He was sure to let Chef Pernot know that the sandwich was delicious, and that it had been “taunting” him from his fridge all day. When asked if he would find D.C.’s best sandwich when he arrives here, he responded calmly, “I just did”.
Jeff wasn’t the only sandwich royalty to make an appearance though. His son Lorenzo, dubbed the ‘Sandwich Prince’, crashed his way in front of the camera to the delight of the crowd and his proud papa, making clear why Mauro describes that his job now is “more fulfilling” since he gets to cook and include his family in his work.
Mauro along with other chef personalities like Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Giada De Laurentiis and more will be on hand for the cooking show, making appearances and doing cooking demos.
Show founder Denise Medved
Also on hand will be dozen’s of vendors and businesses big and small, such as Dockside Cakes, Wisteria Gardens, Del Grosso Sauces, Gator Ron’s and many more–all looking to feed you the perfect bite.
Enough talk…time to chow down.
