The fourth annual Chefs for Equality dinner and gala—a fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign that has become one of the year’s most happening foodie events—takes place this Tuesday at the West End Ritz-Carlton. There are still $200 tickets available for the party, which will feature tasting stations showcasing such restaurants as Osteria Morini, Iron Gate, Central, and Crane & Turtle. The ticket will also give you a crack at some pretty covetable auction items. Here are the five we’d bid on.
*A wedding at the Inn at Little Washington’s Claiborne House, the ornately decorated cottage named for late New York Times restaurant critic Craig Claiborne. It includes a Champagne reception, dinner for 14, a custom-designed wedding cake, flowers, and, for the lucky couple, a sleepover and breakfast the next morning. Oh, and chef/owner Patrick O’Connell will officiate if you want him to. Starting bid: $5,000.
*A rainbow of cocktails—sodas, liquors, and mixers—made by Buffalo & Bergen’s Gina Chersevani for a pride-weekend party. She’ll make enough for 80 drinks (keep the guest-list small—her drinks are gooood). Starting bid: $1,000.
*A backyard barbecue spread made by Washington Post food writer Tim Carman, who looks—at least from Instagram—like he cooks up a mean, mean brisket. That, plus spare ribs, collards, potato salad, and slaw make up the menu. Starting bid: $1,000.
*A Tuscan wine trip for four that includes three nights in a winery villa, plus vineyard tours and tastings, donated by Total Wine. Starting bid: $1,000.
*A weekend for four in Oxford, Mississippi, that includes two dinners, two lunches, and a breakfast at chef John Currence’s restaurants (including Snackbar and City Grocery). Get ready for nouveau southern plates like kung pao catfish and chicken livers with pickled collards and grits. You’ll also score a private tour of William Faulkner’s home. Starting bid: $1,000.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
