Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“I’m with Edible DC Magazine; a local food magazine and I volunteer every year for this event in drag ….. so I come over to help and it’s a great opportunity. I just love seeing all the chefs and bartenders come out to support equality.” Had he not been in drag, we may have recognized him; but that not being the case, here is the photo – let the I.D. contest begin.
“Felicia Beefeater” from Edible DC Magazine
Edible DC Magazine launched a little over a year and half ago, backed by the award winning Edible Community. “Releasing each issue is like dropping your kids off at the first day of school, you question all your decisions from editorial to design. The good news, after a year and a half with lots of bumps and bruises we are thriving.” The mission of Edible DC is to nourish, support, educate and celebrate the growing local food community within and surrounding Washington, D.C. and on the farmers, growers, fishers, home cooks, chefs and others who energize the culinary community.
Anyone who skipped lunch before the Chefs for Equality event at the Ritz-Carlton is probably having buyer’s remorse. Suggestion: Skip the scales. But thank you Chefs, we’ll get over it. Those would include West End Bistro, Birch & Barley, Carmine’s, Bar Pilar, Mango Tree, Cafe Dupont, District Commons, Matchbox, Slate Wine Bar, The Daily Dish, 1789, Lincoln, Bourbon Steak, Central Michel Richard, Dolci Gelato, City Perch, Susan Gage Caterer’s, Dog Tag Bakery, and least we forget – Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats!
Hollywood on the Potomac had a playful chat with Adam Barnett of Westend Bistro about the merits of eating rabbit….you know, like the kind that play around in your back yard. “Well, not exactly,” he said. “These are kinda, sort of a little bit bigger breed. I grew up cooking French food and the French love rabbit. To be honest with you, I like rabbit. It’s a nice lean meat. It’s got a lightness, same that chicken has. It’s got a little bit more flavor to it, like gamey flavor; so to me, it’s a little bit more of a versatile meat than say chicken and it’s not nearly as boring. So we are going to expose the Americans to the wonders of lapin. All these came from the Amish farmers in Pennsylvania.” We are vouching for Barnett, the French know how to cook!
Chef Adam Barnett
When we caught up with David Hagedorn, he suggested we stop working and start eating and getting well lubricated like the rest of the guests. “It’s just another spectacular evening. We have these eleven chefs we brought in from other states that are totally awesome. Christopher Vazquez and Rick Davis from Amaryllis Floral and Event Design turned the place out again. Javier Arze from Huntsman Game has probably supplied a lot of the product here tonight because he supplies every top chef in town, and everyone seems to be well lubricated and well fed and very happy.” In a previous statement Hagedorn, DC chef turned prominent food columnist and cookbook author, said: “I’m thrilled to bring together leaders of the culinary community for a very special night not only to celebrate how far we have come, but to raise awareness and funds to finish the job. With an evening of festivities that support such a worthy cause, these sweet wedding-themed displays will truly be… the icing on the cake!”
Javier Arze and David Hagedorn
“Marriage Equality is now the law of the land, love has finally won! Going on its fourth year, the Human Right Campaign’s [HRC] annual Chefs for Equality event continues to return with one resolute goal: securing this message in each state and protecting the equal rights of the LGBT community. More than 100 celebrated Washington, DC area chefs, pastry chefs and mixologists who joined forces for the cause – this year with their sights set on fighting against the RFRA [Religious Freedom Restoration Act] that is designed to bypass the favorable Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. Set to the theme of “ReFRAin from Discrimination!” the gala had the joyfulness of a wedding celebration through an evening of food, drink, music and an incredible auction.” Mission statement
