Washington Party Archives - Chefs for Equality gala, September 2014

Opening remarks for the emcee of the Chefs for Equality gala, held at the West End Ritz Carlton Hotel in September 2014. A month later same-sex marriage was legally recognized by the state of Virginia, but it remains a complicated issue. On this night though it was all about food and DC's sparkling restaurant scene. Talk about beforetimes. During the decade I reported on the Washington party scene my favorites were always those events that made food an important part of the evening. The Chefs for Equality gala, organized each year by chef and author David Hagedorn, always delivered. Here he is, clearly enjoying his party! 

Guests at the gala enjoyed a robust cocktail hour that included "food surfing" buffets with samples from the region's most celebrated chefs, including some from out beyond the beltway, Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore, Patrick O'Connell from The Inn at Little Washington and Brian Noyes from Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton and Marshall, VA. Also, there were seated dinners created by teams of the chefs. This gala was in every way a splendid affair.

From what I can find online, their last gala before Covid hit was October 2019. Let's hope it returns when this horrible time is behind us, because the pandemic unfairly ravaged the restaurant business.

Brian Noyes (Red Truck Bakery)

Fabio Trabocchi, (Fiola, Fiola Mare) and Patrick O'Connell (The Inn at Little Washington)

Eric Ziebold (Kinship) and Mark Furstenberg (Bread Furst)

Caught mid-bite, general manager extraordinaire, William Washington (let's see, his resume includes Le Diplomate and Blue Duck Tavern, to name only two of the many).

Michael Friedman (Red Hen, All Purpose) and Frederik De Pue (Table, and soon The Henri)

Ballet director and choreographer Septime Webre takes note of a great wine.

Here are James Alefantes (Comet Pizza and Buck's Fishing and Camping) and artist Izette Folger

Lyndon Boozer and Terry McAuliffe

John Quinn (the Ritz Carlton)


Robert Weidemaier (Marcel's, Brasserie Beck) and Cathal Armstrong (then, Restaurant Eve; now, Mattie and Eddie's).

Jeremiah Langhorne (The Dabney) and Spike Gjerde (Woodberry Kitchen 

Cheers!