Seeing Stars, Guitars and Pinot Noirs

CMT recently honored their top five artists of the year and to help them celebrate in style they turned to James Beard Award winning chefs, RJ Cooper, John Currence and Michael Schwartz. Here's a little peak at the event!

A Starry Night with Chefs

Honoring the Rising Stars of DC’s Culinary Scene

Mary

Last night we celebrated the rising culinary mavens of the DC/VA/MD area at the 2010 DC Rising StarChefs Gala, and an event it was!  Held on the rooftop of Charlie Palmer Steak, guests were treated with almost-perfect weather (the winds clearly wanted in on the celebration), a beautiful view of the capital’s best, a special surprise guest, and of course, copious amounts of wine, cocktails, and food.

Snapshots of the panoramic view

Presented by the honorees themselves, the dishes and drinks showcased the exact talent that awarded them the prestigious accolade. From Bryan Voltaggio’s New Zealand King Salmon, Everything Bagel Crumbs, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Lemon Pudding, Chives, and Red Onion to Gina Chersevani’s Bourbon, Meyer-Lemon Limoncello, and sour cherry cocktail, to Jason Alley’s Braised Australian Beef Cheeks, Juniper, Ginger Beer, Stone Ground Grits, and Arugula, this was definitely the event to attend with an empty stomach and thirsty palate.  

Bryan Voltaggio's table was one of the many who suffered power outages caused by the wind.  Although their only source of light was a small LED light and my camera flash, they still managed to execute one of my favorite dishes of the night.

Amidst the mingling, tasting, and sipping, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd.  An old friend? No. A former acquaintance? Not quite.  Then it hit me.  It was Grant Achantz, chef/owner of the Alinea in Chicago.   Sure enough, the next thing I know, he’s on stage presenting his protégé, John Shields, with the Rising StarChefs award.  In true fan form, I tracked him immediately afterwards for a photo op.



Chef Grant and me

One of these days, I will plan a trip to Chicago to dine at his internationally-acclaimed restaurant.  My bucket list just got one line longer.

All in all, the night was a successful array of flavors, fun and excitement to celebrate the next generation of star chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists who, under the tutelage of their nationally renowned mentors, have helped put DC on the culinary map.  Congratulations to all the winners! 

Washington DC Area's Revue Gala Tasting Menu

WASHINGTON, DC CHEFS

Rubén García, minibar by josé andrés and ThinkFoodGroup
Cotton Candy Eel

***

Benjamin Lambert, Restaurant Nora
Hawaiian Hearts of Palm Salad, Thai Basil, Cucumber, Mango, Coriander Berries, Basil Seeds, Heirloom Tomato Water, and Hearts of Palm Sorbet

***

Nick Stefanelli, Bibiana
Hay Smoked Veal Sweetbreads, Jerusalem Artichokes, and Black Truffle-Anchovy Dressing

***

David Varley, Bourbon Steak
Sustainable Shrimp, Shaved Green Papaya, Long Peppers, and Peanuts

***

Nobu Yamazaki, Sushi Taro
Alaskan King Crab Shabu Shabu

***

VIRGINIA CHEFS

Jason Alley, Comfort
Braised Australian Beef Cheeks, Juniper, Ginger Beer, Stone Ground Grits, and Arugula

***

Bertrand Chemel, 2941
Local Beets, Compressed Watermelon, Laughing Bird Shrimp, and Cherrywood Balsamic

***

Clayton Miller, Trummer's on Main
Chilled New Zealand Greenshell Mussels, Quinoa, Curry Mayo, and Fluffy Ocean

***

John Shields, Town House Restaurant
Australian Lamb, Cooked in Ash with Smoked Eggplant Purée, Miso, Bonito Dressing, and Black Garlic

***

MARYLAND CHEF

Bryan Voltaggio, VOLT
New Zealand King Salmon, Everything Bagel Crumbs, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Lemon Pudding, Chives, and Red Onion

***

COMMUNITY CHEF

Matt Hill, Charlie Palmer Steak (Washington, DC)
Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, Cauliflower, and Preserved Cherries

***

SUSTAINABILITY CHEF

Isaiah Billington, Woodberry Kitchen (Maryland)
Summer Pudding

***

HOTEL CHEF

Dean Maupin, Formerly of The Clifton Inn (Virginia)
Duck Confit and Ricotta Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Arugula, Cracklin's, and Grated Wisconsin SarVecchio Parmesan

***

VIP HOST CHEF

Aaron Tootill, Washington Marriott at Metro Center (Washington, DC)
Tuna Ceviche with Red Bell Pepper Sauce, Cilantro Sauce, Micro Peppercress, and Petrossian Osetra Caviar

***

PASTRY CHEFS

Chris Ford, Trummer's on Main (Virginia)
Chocolate Soup, Cocoa Nib Sherbet, Cinnamon Marshmallow, and Devil's Food Cake

***

Tiffany MacIsaac, Birch & Barley (Washington, DC)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart, Malted Milk Sorbet, and Whiskey Vanilla Shake

***

Karen Urie Shields, Town House Restaurant (Virginia)
Parsnip Candy, Coconut, Yeast Sponge, Banana, Maca Crumbs, and Lemongrass

***

MIXOLOGISTS

Gina Chersevani, PS 7's (Washington, DC)
- Beet-iful Apples with Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Dolin Sweet Vermouth, Apple Juice, Red Beet Reduction, and Mint
- Mulberry Street: Woodford Bourbon, House-made Meyer Lemon Limoncello, and Sour Cherries

***

Stefan Trummer, Trummer's on Main (Virginia)
The Reefer: Rum, Fresh Mint, Virginia Honey, Angostura Bitters, Barboursville Brut, and Bouquet Garnis Steeped in Absinthe

***

SOMMELIERS

Greg Engert, Birch & Barley (Washington, DC)
Beer Pairings with chefs' dishes

***

Carlton McCoy, Sou'Wester (Washington, DC)
Wine Pairings with chefs' dishes

New Orleans Resurrects After the Storm

From the cutting room floor: John Besh visits Ming Tsai's show

DC Chefs Serve a 30-Foot Long Po' Boy at the White House!

Some folks I know did something special at the White House on Monday!

For more videos and photographs, visit the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.

Two New Orleans Natives Take on Tales...Armed with Cocktails!

Making a Pizza Enzo with chef Alon Shaya at Domenica in New Orleans!

Mussel Power

Chef Robert Wiedmaier's latest venture, Mussel Bar, is set to open July 22, 2010 in Bethesda, Maryland.

UPDATE: Mussel Bar is now open!

Summer Fishing with the Boys!

The Bourbon, Bacon & BBQ Trail with Simone and the Southern Foodways Alliance

A Berry Good Day at the Farm with the Guas Boys

Chugga-Chugga-Choo! Choo!

Early Friday morning, I’ll be caught a plane to NYC to celebrate my big brother’s 50th birthday – but after my experience on the Patron Tequila Epicurean Express this week, I’d really rather be taking the train. Specifically, that train! Patron’s beautifully restored vintage car far outshines any first-class cabin in which I’ve ever had the pleasure to fly.

The two-day event here in Washington’s Union Station was for the St. Bernard Project, Liz McCarthy and Zack Rosenberg’s powerhouse of a Louisiana charity that is now focusing on helping the fishermen, shrimpers and oystermen whose livelihoods are threatened by the oil spill. They developed this organization in 2006 to help the St Bernard residents displaced from Hurricane Katrina. Teaming up with Patron Tequila, the goal for the Epicurean Express [with additional stops in Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Los Angeles] was to raise $75,000 to rebuild the houses of three fishermen, and to provide 375 additional hours of mental health services to fishermen and their families.

Thanks to a generous band of top Washington chefs, mixologists, and a few New Orleans colleagues who turned out scores of hors d’oeuvres and a five course dinner [featuring seafood from the Gulf of Mexico] we more than met our portion of the goal. We also made some good friends in the process, and our efforts didn’t go unnoticed: the event got coverage in over a dozen media outlets [and counting…] including The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC News, Bon Appétit’s Epicurious, and Food & Wine. Here’s hoping that translates into even more support for the St. Bernard Project. And the next time the Patron Tequila Epicurean Express comes to town, I’ll certainly be on board… in more ways that one!

The Patron Tequila Epicurean Express

Aligator Tail!

Brian Landry from Galatoire's

Jeff Tunks from Passion Food Hospitality

All of the chefs with Congressman Charlie Melancon and Lynn Breaux

Congressman Melancon addressing the crowd

Greg Reggio of Zea in New Orleand and David Guas of DamGoodSweet

Damian Torguson from Brasserie Beck

Gina Chersevani from PS 7 - 2010 RAMMY Winner

with Congressman and Mrs. Melancon and Betty Ann Tanner

Brian Landry and Greg Reggio

Todd Thrasher from Restaurant Eve, PX and Majestic

All of the chefs from Wednesday night's dinner

with DC Citycouncilman, Jack Evans and Zack Rosenburg, co-founder of St. Bernard Project

Chefs Move to Schools at The White House

Chefs David Guas, Jeff Tunks and Robert Wiedmaier were invited along with more than 500 chefs from around the country to join First Lady Michelle Obama at The White House today as part of her Chefs Move to Schools program in the fight against childhood obesity. Each chef will be adopting a school in an effort to revitalize school lunches and make them healthier for students.

Chris Watson, John Currence, David Guas, Linton Hopkins, Jeff Tunks

The Dames of Les Dames D' Escoffier

with Gina Hopkins

Carla Hall and Bryan Voltaggio of Top Chef

David Guas and Pastry Chef, Michael Laiskonis from La Bernardin in New York City

David Guas, Robert Wiedmaier and Tom Colicchio, host of Top Chef

Robert Wiedmaier

David Guas and Bryan Voltaggio

Marcel's Chef de Cuisine, Carla Hall, Robert Wiedmaier and David Guas

David Guas and Pastry Chef, Gale Gand from Tru in Chicago

David Guas and Sherry Yard, Wolfgang Puck's longtime pastry chef