DC Chefs, National Culinary Superstars, and Celebrity Supporters Take the Stage to Fight Hunger During DC’s Baddest Night of Doing Good
Washington, DC – August 25, 2026 – DC Central Kitchen’s Capital Food Fight, presented by Tyson Foods, is set to take place at The Anthem on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 6pm. The annual fundraiser for DC Central Kitchen includes a thrilling stage show featuring the rising stars of DC’s culinary scene, tastes from dozens of top restaurants from across the region, and appearances from some of the biggest names in food. First hosted in 2004 by DC Central Kitchen’s long-time volunteer, advocate, and Board Chair Emeritus José Andrés, DC’s “Baddest Night of Doing Good” is a can’t miss event for local foodies and philanthropists alike. Over the past 22 years, Capital Food Fight has raised nearly $14 million in support of DC Central Kitchen’s fight against hunger and poverty in our nation’s capital!
Tickets to this year’s Capital Food Fight go on sale to the public on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 9am on capitalfoodfight.org.
“Capital Food Fight raises funds that fuel our critical programs as we provide the healthy food and culinary job training our city needs 365 days a year,” says Mike Curtin, CEO of DC Central Kitchen. “But this is no traditional gala. DC’s baddest night of doing good showcases DC’s incredibly generous, talent-rich culinary community and restaurant scene while uniting some of the biggest names in food taking a public stand against hunger and poverty.”
For the second consecutive year, Tyson Foods is joining the fight as the Presenting Sponsor. “Having seen DC Central Kitchen’s work firsthand, it’s clear how deeply their mission aligns with our own to bring food that tastes great and is nutritious, convenient and affordable to every table in the world,” said Andy York, Head of Global Government Affairs at Tyson Foods. “We are honored to return as the Presenting Sponsor of Capital Food Fight and to deepen our relationship with DC Central Kitchen rooted in that shared commitment.”
Four acclaimed local chefs will join a storied list of notable chefs who have faced off in the head-to-head culinary challenge on stage. This year’s battling chefs who will be stepping up to the stoves on the main event stage throughout the evening include:
- Executive Chef of Rice Market Test Kitchen Scheyla Acosta
- Executive Chef of Marcus DC and Top Chef season 23 competitor Anthony Jones
- Executive Chef of Continues Arcade Bar and Iron Chef America competitor Brian Lacayo
- Executive Chef of Lucky Danger Robbie Reyes
Their dishes will be judged by a panel of culinary icons, including four-time James Beard Award-winning chef and host of Bizarre Foods, Family Dinner, and The Zimmern List, Andrew Zimmern, ‘Mr. National’ Ryan Zimmerman, acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Karen Akunowicz, Master Chef co-host, Top Chef alum and restaurateur Tiffany Derry, Top Chef alum, Food Network host and chef Eric Adjepong, and James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and television personality Rocco DiSpirito. Celebrity chef and DC-based restaurateur, Spike Mendelsohn, and NBC Washington personality Tommy McFly return as the evening’s hosts and emcee, respectively. DJ Tezrah will keep things rocking on the decks all night long as attendees enjoy libations and delicious bites from more than 70 of the DMV’s best restaurants and bars across two floors of The Anthem.
Tickets that include all-you-care-to-enjoy bites and drinks will be available for purchase at www.capitalfoodfight.org starting on Tuesday, September 1 at 9 am. Main Event tickets are $350. A limited number of Front Row Access tickets are available for $725 that includes exclusive access to a stage-front lounge area featuring small bites and special sips from some of the city’s top-tier hot spots. Capital Food Fight is a 21 and older event.
All proceeds from Capital Food Fight, including donations and the evening’s silent auction, go to support DC Central Kitchen’s award-winning solutions to hunger and poverty in Washington, DC, from providing culinary job training to people facing employment challenges to serving scratch-cooked school meals to delivering fresh fruits and vegetables at deep discounts to small corner stores across city.
Special thanks to the 2026 Capital Food Fight Presenting Sponsor Tyson Foods, along with Showcase Sponsors ADM and CoBank. Long-time Pantry Sponsor Wegmans is generously stocking this year’s on-stage pantry with B&W, Keany Produce, and Nestlé providing the surprise ingredients the battling chefs will use in each round. Further appreciation goes to our Executive Chef Sponsor Lineage Foundation for Good; and Sous Chef Sponsors AUI Fine Foods, The Baldwin Group, Clark Construction, Cuisine Solutions, DoorDash, Hilton, PNC Bank, and Washington Gas. For a full list of 2026 sponsors and information on remaining sponsorship opportunities, please visit capitalfoodfight.org/sponsors.
For more information on Capital Food Fight and to purchase tickets starting September 1, 2026, please visit https://dccentralkitchen.org/
ABOUT DC CENTRAL KITCHEN
DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) is an iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. Our approach provides hands-on culinary job training while creating living-wage jobs and bringing nutritious, dignified food where it is most needed in our city. We serve scratch-cooked farm-to-school meals in DC schools; deliver fresh, affordable produce to corner stores in neighborhoods without supermarkets; provide delicious catering; and operate three fast-casual cafes that also provide on-the-job training. To learn more, visit dccentralkitchen.org and follow @dccentralkitchen on Instagram and Facebook.