As 75 restaurants and four chef’s battled against hunger in this week’s Capital Food Fight, the DC Central Kitchen came out the winner.  More than 1,500 attendees supported the fundraising event.  DC Central Kitchen is America’s leader in reducing hunger with recycled food, training unemployed adults for culinary careers, serving healthy school meals, and rebuilding urban food systems through social enterprise.

Baltimore Chef Spike Gjerde, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Woodberry Kitchen & Artifact Coffee came out on top as the winner of the food fight, which must have pleased Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes and host of the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes.”  Earlier in the evening he teased the audience that “you think you need a passport to go to Baltimore.”

Duff Goldman and José Andrés

Guests sampled tasty bites from 75 local restaurants, who cooked to impress.  The stage lit up for battles between local chefs including Erik Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground and Maketto; Bertrand Chemel of 2941 Restaurant; Anthony Lombardo of 1789, and Spike Gjerde.

Co-hosts José Andrés and Carla Hall bantered throughout the battles, keeping the audience amused.

Carla Hall and José Andrés

The chefs faced a judges panel of savvy celebrity chefs including  Tom Colicchio,  Todd English, Rick Bayless,  and Art Smith.

Art Smith, Todd English, Rick Bayless, Tom Colicchio, Carla Hall and Jose Andres take a moment to pay tribute to Charlie Trotter

The event also featured a High Stakes Cakes competition.  Padua Player, Executive Pastry Chef and owner of Suga Chef Desserts, was the winner.

The best news of the night?  $600,000 was raised for DC Central Kitchen!

For more information about DC Central Kitchen, visit http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/