Local celebrity chef and friends bring Louisiana spirit to Mardi Gras fundraiser for DC Central Kitchen

As Fat Tuesday gave way to Lent, 500 revelers showed up last week at Union Market to partake in authentic New Orleans fare and music at the fourth annual Mardi Gras Extravaganza.

The event is the brainchild of David Guas, noted TV chef and owner of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington. Guas had previously hosted a smaller Fat Tuesday event — Bayou Gras — at his bakery. With lines so long they routinely spilled out of the eatery, Guas decided in 2017 to expand the celebration. He conceived the larger event with Gina Chersevani, who had mixed drinks at Bayou Gras; celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn and his sister Micheline Mendelsohn Luhn; event producer Bruce Pike of Pike Productions; and PR maven Simone Rathle of Simoneink. 

Proceeds from the $50-per-ticket, all-you-can-eat-and-drink dance party on Feb. 25 benefited DC Central Kitchen, which, according to the nonprofit’s website, “provides hands-on culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while creating living wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed.”

Guas is best known for his appearances on NBC’s Today show and as host of the Travel Channel show American Grilled. He has also been a mainstay at DC Central Kitchen, teaching students and helping them find employment, educational and other opportunities. Later this month, the organization’s Culinary Job Training program will graduate 22 students, four of whom worked the Mardi Gras event.

“He often tries to find a role for our students to learn with other restaurants outside this space,” said DC Central Kitchen spokesperson Erica Teti-Zilinskas. “[The Mardi Gras event] provides an opportunity for students that are midway through their training program and haven’t had an opportunity to go out on an internship yet to put their skills to use.”

DC Central Kitchen trainee Lance McGann was on hand to prepare and serve New Orleans-style red beans and rice. “I’m getting on-the-job training here and all the little things like safety and sanitation and knife skills, prep and especially speed,” he said.

Guas and Rathle are both New Orleans natives, and Mendelsohn and Pike have connections of their own to the city (Pike got married there, and Mendelssohn has friends there and likes the scene). The organizers wanted to make sure this was an authentic experience rather than just an excuse for a party.

“With the people I meet in and around Washington, DC, there seems to be a common conversation and love affair for New Orleans,” said Rathle. “This event is a way to gather people in the tri-state area to enjoy one of the most recognized holidays for New Orleans — Mardi Gras. Being from there and with everyone on the [event’s] board who has a strong connection to New Orleans, it was only natural to get this party started in a much bigger way. We know how to keep it true to the origins of the ritual.”

Attendee Jody Birotte — who originally hails from Mandeville, Louisiana, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain — says she has moved around a lot as an adult and finds the festival reminds her of home. “We’re a military family so anything Mardi Gras I can, I do, and I love it,” she said.

Rathle is especially proud to have the New Orleans Board of Tourism as an official sponsor for the second straight year. As a way of boosting the Crescent City, a trip for two was the grand prize in the silent auction. The vacation was sponsored by Simoneink, DC Central Kitchen and the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group.

District Brass and Brass Connection, two bands popular in the Washington area, played Dixieland jazz — a style in which low saxophones are used to fill out the guitar parts and the string bass is replaced with a tuba and trombones. This musical format originated with parades and funeral processions because the stringed instruments are impractical for walking.

In the past the Mardi Gras Extravaganza has showcased the creative stylings of prominent area chefs, but this time most of them were tied up at the Chance for Life charity event held the previous Saturday to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.

“We didn’t really want them to feel obligated for another big event,” said Rathle.

As a result, Guas shouldered a heavier load than usual — and that was on top of the orders for his famous B.B. King Cake, which has become a holiday staple for many Mardi Gras celebrants. Guas’ team worked around the clock as Fat Tuesday approached to produce what Rathle estimated as 100 orders a day. She explained the cakes can’t simply stockpiled in advance of the rush because the lack of preservatives means that the cakes must be served fresh.

Much of the catering for the Union Market event came from Mendelsohn. The 2009 Top Chef finalist offered food from three of his local restaurants: We, The Pizza; Santa Rosa Taqueria; and Good Stuff Eatery. As per Mardi Gras tradition, Mendelsohn gave his foods a Louisiana twist as he offered Cajun Carnitas and King Cake Milkshakes decorated with blue and gray sprinkles. Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. also provided catering.

Other highlights of the evening included a costume contest, a special “video selfie” photo booth and a hurricane cocktail competition. This year’s winners of the $750 cash prize and a green-and-purple bedazzled trophy were mixologists Nick Farrell and Stephanie Frost. Their winning hurricane ingredients included a house-made chartreuse mix, lemon and lime juice, fresh passion fruit and pineapple.