Join us to enjoy gourmet tastings and signature cocktails from more than 30 of our region’s top chefs and mixologists!
Proceeds from Chef’s Best will provide critical resources to help Food & Friends prepare and home-deliver 1.75 million free, medically tailored meals, groceries and nutrition counseling to 5,300 individuals living with a serious or chronic illness, including dependents and caregivers. Meals are delivered throughout the District of Columbia, nine counties in Maryland, and seven counties and seven independent cities in Virginia. Food & Friends is the only community-based organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region that provides home-delivered, medically tailored meals. Eligibility is based solely on illness, though more than 65% of households served live on $1,500 a month or less. Meals are 100% free of charge.
Please join us as a sponsor to help our neighbors living with a life challenging illness.
Click here for more media coverage, sponsors, and restaurant participants from Chef's Best 2024.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Marriott Marquis DC
901 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
President's Reception: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Invitation Only)
Gourmet Chef Tastings Reception: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Dessert, Program & Live Auction: 8:15 p.m.
Attire: Business/cocktail
Join us for a community-wide celebration!
Jenna Smith, Special Events Director
jsmith@foodandfriends.org
(202) 269-6826
Erin Como is an Emmy-nominated host and reporter who has been with Fox 5 DC for nearly a decade. She is one of the city’s go-to tastemakers on the local food and dining scene– working with chefs, restaurateurs, and mixologists through her series "Cooking With Como." Erin believes food is the universal language of love and a shared meal can bring people from all walks of life together.
Recognized for her dedication to community service, Erin received a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. Erin is also the founder of Como Media LLC, providing a variety of media consulting and coaching services.
You can discover her latest projects and recipes at www.cookingwithcomo.com.
Yuan conceptualized Rooster & Owl to develop inventive, contemporary American cuisine in a fun, collaborative environment. Previously, he worked at three-Michelin-star Jean Georges and one-Michelin-star The Modern and was the sous chef at one-Michelin-star Dovetail in New York City.
Contact Special Events Director Jenna Smith at (202) 269-6826 or jsmith@foodandfriends.org.
Diamond Sponsor
President’s Reception Sponsor
Bar Sponsor
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Registration Sponsor
Comcast
Auction Sponsor
FanDuel
Raffle Sponsor
UBER
Gold Sponsors
PhRMA
John Scofield & S-3 Group
T-Mobile
Silver Sponsors
American Beverage Association
The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation
DCI Group LLC
EagleBank
Leonard Egan
Peter & Denise Glassman
Roy Kaufmann
Jessica Lerner & Dan Pink
Merck
NFP/The Meltzer Group
Kim and Nick Pomponi
Bill Thorne & Bo Bryant
Washington Gas
Bronze Sponsors
Anonymous
ArentFox Schiff
DC Hospital Association
Debbie & David Astrove
Jill & Bruce Baldwin
Mike Bento & Vaughn Brown
Michael Best
Jacqueline Bowens & Curtis Jones
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Brad Clark
Fleur Bresler
Community Health Partners
Crossroad Strategies
CTIA
Jen & Aaron Cutler
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine
The Family of Anne Urban
Farragut Partners
The George Washington University Hospital
Giant
Harbinger Strategies
JM Zell
Daryl Judy, Washington Fine Properties
Kraft Heinz
Leonard Paper
Locust Street Group
Linda & Louis Mazawey
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
Mintz
National Association of Chain Drugstores
National Capital Bank
NT Concepts
Adam Peterman & Diane Rinaldo
Saval Foodservice
G.S Proctor & Associates
Carrie Stoltzfus & Jonathan Christophel
Studios Architects
Tiber Creek Group
Wegmans
Zuna Eclipse
Friends
American Gaming Association
AmeriHealth Caritas DC
Anthony Athanason TTR Sotheby's Realty
Avenue Solutions
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Campaigns & Elections
Bobby & Joy Candelieri
Alkeisha Collins
DoorDash
Gordon Food Services
Corinne and Bill Irwin
Jenner & Block LLP
Lautman Maska Neill
Joan Lynch & James Mackey
Maryland Physicians Care
National Cooperative Bank
Marcia Newbill
Katie and Clark Pastrick
Production Solutions
Debra Raggio
Carolyn & Michael Schmidt
Matt Sokolowski / The Owner's Representative
Validity Screening
Supporters
Misty Allen
Bytedance
Clark Construction
Wayne Fong & Christopher Hamilton
Goldman Sachs
Melanie Hudson & Michael Hacker
Nyikos-Garcia Foodservice Design Inc.
Leslye Wooley
Hastie Afkhami, S-3 Group
Joe Maloney, American Gaming Association
Kate Abel, Merck
Michael Akin, LINK Strategic Partners
Misty Allen, Comcast
Anthony Athanason, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
Zach Bache, Atwell, LLC
Michael J. Baks, Attorney
Bobby Candelieri, Campaigns & Elections
Joy Candelieri, Pinnacle Bank
Brian Edling, OpenTable
Wayne Fong, DRT Strategies
Chris Holland, Wegmans
Carole Lambert, LINK Strategic Partners
Joan Lynch, Marriott International
James (Jimmy) Olevson, National Capital Bank
Altmann Pannell, Coca Cola Consolidated
Adam Peterman, T-Mobile
Bill Thorne, National Retail Federation