About Dan About Town
Party photographer Dan Swartz’s diary of bashes, benefits, and galas.
Georgetown power spot Bourbon Steak pulled out all the stops over the weekend, with a series of events celebrating its tenth anniversary in Washington.
The foodie fête began on Saturday night with an exclusive five-course tasting menu dinner (plus amuse and dessert) held inside the restaurant’s private dining room. In addition to a sumptuous meal, the evening served as a culinary walk down memory lane of sorts, with three alumni executive chefs serving some of their past “greatest hits” in addition to contributions by current executive chef Drew Adams and the restaurant’s namesake, Michael Mina himself.
Many of the restaurant’s regulars were in attendance at the dinner, including Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and his wife, Heather Zimmerman, among others. Four Seasons president Christian Clerk, a longtime Mina fan, also flew in for the occasion.
The party really kicked into high gear the following morning, however, when Bourbon Steak threw open its (metaphorical) doors to a sold-out party brunch. A unique experience, as the first brunch ever served at the restaurant, the nearly five hour-long daytime celebration saw most of the room’s tables cleared from the floors in order to accommodate a series of bottomless food and beverage stations, an open Moët champagne bar, and even a lively dance floor.
San Francisco-based Mina Group executive pastry chef Veronica Arroyo presided over a mammoth ten-year anniversary cake she had created for the brunch and which, towards the end of the party, was playfully cut by Michael Mina and company president Patric Yumul.
At the conclusion of brunch, even the chefs and service staff of the top-rated restaurant had a chance to unwind with their own private company party at neighboring Four Seasons restaurant, ENO Wine Bar, where they undoubtedly toasted to ten more well-deserved years.
