Get to Know the Super Schmooze Chefs! (Part 2)

We're just six days away from Super Schmooze when 28 of DC's top chefs and mixologists will serve bites and sips to 400 foodies and networking MACHINES. Translation: All fun, no lines. Last week we introduced you to 11 superstars, here's more! More info and sign up. 

Have you ever relaxed at the Salamander Resort & Spa in Northern Virginia? Their fine dining, steak-centric restaurant, Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill, is where you’ll find chef de cuisine Chris Edwards. But, you don't have to drive that far to see him on June 12 at Super Schmooze where he'll be serving Oaxacan chicken mole. Chris most recently cooked at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville before jumping on board at Harrimans under culinary director Todd Gray. Fun fact: The Woodbridge, VA native staged at Barcelona’s El Bulli. Learn more about Harrimans. 

South Carolina native chef Joel Hatton will be serving up a plate of love at Super Schmooze: Pork belly with sorghum mustard and beer salt. Sorghum is a sweetener that tastes like caramel and Joel uses it in several recipes at 1905—a neighborhood restaurant that offers what Joel calls “uplifted Southern food.” Fun fact: Joel used to DJ at three different bars in Adams Morgan including Rendezvous Lounge and still likes to spin in his free time. Learn more about 1905. 

We snapped Ping Pong Dim Sum beverage director Chris Bassett sipping on the cocktail he’ll be serving at Super Schmooze—Shanghai Pimm’s Cup made with Pimm's No. 1, Martini Bianco, cucumber ginger syrup, ginger beer, mandarin oranges and Asian pear. Chris recently joined the Ping Pong team from PX in Alexandria. Fun Fact: Chris says the most underrated cocktail is the daiquiri because of its simplicity. Todd Thrasher taught him the importance of not going overboard. Learn more about Ping Pong Dim Sum.

You can typically find chef de cuisine/pit master Dan Farber by the smoker at Hill Country BBQ Market. That's where we found him. He serves pound after pound of Texas ‘cue all cooked daily in house. We’re jealous of his custom-built smoker room! Fun fact: Dan’s a LEGO collector and his favorite things to build are restaurants! Learn more about Hill Country BBQ, Market.

Try Carmine's famous eggplant parmigiana at Super Schmooze. It’s 100% vegetarian—a fun surprise from an eatery that puts out more meatballs a day than 100 adorable Italian grandmothers. Chef Laurence Cohen took the reigns of the ginormous family-style Italian joint on June 3. A big sports fan (Mets, but we won’t hold it against him), Laurence worked for a time at New York’s Citi Field. Fun fact: He's lived in two placed named Virginia—the Virginia that borders DC and Virginia, Ireland, which is just north of Dublin. Learn more about Carmine’s.

Fujimar’s chef Khan Enkhbaatar is from Mongolia, but was trained in Japanese cuisine by an old school chef that reminded him of Jiro from Jiro Dreams of Sushi. His sushi rolls are cool and complicated like the "Spring House Roll" with black bean crab salad, tiger shrimp, avocado, fried wonton skin, rice paper, fried mint and a yuzu citric shoyu sauce. You’ll try his Ahi tuna ginger ceviche at Super Schmooze. Fun fact: Back in Mongolia, Khan was a sports journalist covering the country’s two main sports—wrestling and boxing. Learn more about Fujimar.

Chef Bryan Yealy is the corporate chef of Capital Restaurant Concepts, which brings you Georgetown favorites like Paolo's and Neyla as well as two restaurants that will be represented at Super Schmooze: Old Glory BBQ and J. Paul’s. Look for wings and blue point oysters from these spots. Fun fact: Bryan collects cookbooks and has amassed more than 1,500. Learn more about Old Glory BBQ and J. Paul’s.

Chef Marlo Osorio has been at Policy on 14th Street for three years. His favorite food is a baleada, which looks like a cross between a quesadilla and empanada but hails from Honduras, just like Marlo. Unfortunately, you won’t find any on the Policy menu, but you will find seven different kinds of sliders! Fun fact: Marlo finds time to do construction work on the side. Learn more about Policy.

In addition to these nine restaurants, Super Schmoozers will be privy to noshing on (or sipping on!) treats from 1789, Joe's Stone Crab, Art and Soul, Malmaison, Marcel's, Westend Bistro, Marvin, Tonic, Luke's Lobster, Cure Bar & Bistro, The Gibson, New Town Kitchen and Bar, Brabo, GCDC, Red Light, Vapiano, P.F. Changs, Penn Commons, the Satellite Room and Patty Boom Boom. Then, there's wine from exclusive wine sponsor Tarara Winery. See you there: More info and sign-up.