Award-Winning Chefs from Daru/Tapori, Fava Pot, Fraiche, and Kayu will Take the Stage to Fight Hunger During DC’s Baddest Night of Doing Good
Washington, DC – August 26, 2025 – DC Central Kitchen’s Capital Food Fight, presented by Tyson Foods, is set to take place at The Anthem on Thursday, November 6, 2025 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 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 20 years, Capital Food Fight has raised more than $12 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 2, 2025 at 9am on capitalfoodfight.org.
“Capital Food Fight isn’t your typical gala. The food is delicious, but at center stage is the talent and generosity of our local hospitality community and the need to fight hunger differently in our city,” says Mike Curtin, CEO of DC Central Kitchen. “On November 6th, we will celebrate the relentless, innovative work of DC Central Kitchen and show what Washington, DC can do when we come together in service of our shared values.”
“At Tyson Foods, we work diligently to break down barriers and provide access to safe, affordable, and nutritious protein,” says Donnie King, President & CEO of Tyson Foods. “We are proud to continue our partnership with DC Central Kitchen in sponsoring Capital Food Fight 2025, an initiative that closely aligns with our purpose of feeding the world like family.”
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:
- Suresh Sundas, Executive Chef of Daru and Tapori & 2025 RAMMY Award-winning Rising Culinary Star of the Year
- Fava Pot Chef and Founder Dina Daniel
- Executive Chef and Owner of Fraiche, Matt Price, aka “Mr. Make It Happen”
- Julie Cortes, Executive Chef of Kayu
Their dishes will be judged by a panel of culinary icons, including Chopped judge and best-selling cookbook author Amanda Freitag, acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef & restaurateur Roy Yamaguchi, Top Chef contestant, Food Network regular & chef Eric Adjepong, and James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and television personality Rocco DiSpirito! Celebrity chef and DC-based restaurateur, Spike Mendelsohn, and 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 will be available for purchase at www.capitalfoodfight.org starting on Tuesday, September 2 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 2025 Capital Food Fight Presenting Sponsor Tyson Foods, along with Showcase Sponsors CoBank, Instacart, and Lineage Foundation for Good. Long-time Pantry Sponsor Wegmans is generously stocking this year’s on-stage pantry with B&W, Keany Produce, and Meat & Livestock Australia providing the surprise ingredients the battling chefs will use in each round. Further appreciation goes to our Executive Chef Sponsors Elevance Health and DoorDash; and Sous Chef Sponsors Clark Construction, Hilton, PNC Bank, and Singer Equipment. For a full list of 2025 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 2, 2025, please visit www.capitalfoodfight.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 or follow @dccentralkitchen on Instagram and Facebook.