Libation purveyors....

ELISIR - Chef Enzo Fargione

by contributor Wendy Gordon

One thing never in question in DC is taste.  Yes, I am speaking solely in the sensory sense.  

We leave the rest of that statement to the imagination....…but from a culinary standpoint, not only does our fair District have some of the best dining establishments and talent around, but when there’s a cause to be served, chefs, mixologists and restaurant personnel heed the call.  

Such was the scenario on Monday evening as at The National Building Museum with the annual Taste of the Nation event to benefit Share Our Strength (SOS).  

 
Over 80 restaurants and mixologists, libations purveyors and the like were represented, each sampling food and drink, and each collecting donations dollar by dollar in ‘tip jars’ to eliminate hunger.  

Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. 

 Through its No Kid Hungry Campaign™, —a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs, invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy meals on a budget, and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, both nationally and at the state level.  

Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support ‘No Kid Hungry’—a theme of the evening.

There were plenty of the darlings of the kitchen on hand including Enzo Fargione of Elisir,  Mike Isabella of Graffiato and Bodega, Scott Drewno of  The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Bryan Voltaggio of VOLT, RJ Cooper of Rogue 24, not to mention vittles from artisan chocolates to Georgetown Cupcakes; lasagna to oysters to dried fried rice.  Yum.  Seriously…yum. 

The fact remains that the really delicious part of the evening are the funds raised for a good cause and all those in the culinary industry that contributed their time and talent to help those in need as well as those that support the cause.  It’s a step by step process—a wishful recipe, hopefully, for ‘No Kid Hungry’ in the near future.