Group Dining: Food & Friends’ Chef’s Best Dinner
Chef's Best is a signature event for Food & Friends -- and philanthropic foodies
Deborah Peeples may have only signed on last fall to be the chief development officer at Food & Friends, but she has long been invested in the cause.
“My late husband rode in the first AIDS Ride in ’97 from Philly to Washington, and then he rode in subsequent ones,” Peeples says. “I’ve been raising money in the community for a really long time, with a lot of other really wonderful nonprofits.”
Peeples couldn’t pass up the chance to work for Food & Friends, which is known for providing meals and nutritional services to those suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses. The organization is also known for several annual fundraisers that tug at the hearts and appeal to the stomachs, including Chef’s Best, set for Monday, May 23.
Now in its 26th year, Chef’s Best highlights the restaurant community, which, says Peebles, “has been incredibly supportive of Food & Friends from its very beginning days.” The event has grown in tandem with the rise in the region’s restaurant scene, as many of today’s nationally recognized chefs and mixologists take part. Last year’s 25th anniversary event raised $1 million, a figure the organization hopes to match this year.
Michael Friedman of The Red Hen and All Purpose Pizzeria is the Celebrity Chef Chair, recruiting a total of 38 chefs and mixologists from restaurants throughout the city, including Amy Brandwein of Centrolina, Patrick Curran of Momofuku, Salvatore Ferro of the Old Ebbit Grille, Louis Goral of Rural Society, Anthony Lombardo of The Hamilton, Joe Palma of Bourbon Steak and Ed Scarpone, DBGB Kitchen & Bar. The event, held this year at the National Building Museum, also offers a silent and live auction, including far-flung trips, one-of-a-kind experiences and private dining opportunities.
“It’s a wonderful evening if you’re at all inclined to being a foodie,” says Peeples. “For people looking to be part of a community, and part of a community’s solution, coming out to be Chef’s Best is just a really great night of what we call food, fun and philanthropy.”
Chef’s Best is Monday, May 23, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $350. Call 202-269-2277 or visit foodandfriends.org.
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