The Inaugural Food Scene In 12 Bites : The SaltHundreds of thousands of people turned out in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration festivities. And boy, were they hungry. We tracked down the good stuff for you in pictures.
Albert Lebron (center) helps friends stuff almost 250 muffin boxes into the Capital Chicken and Waffle Food Truck the night before the inauguration celebrations. This was the first time that many food trucks were permitted along the parade route. Due to security measures each truck was only allowed to carry whatever food could be packed into the truck that morning.
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Christopher James, the State Department's deputy chef, helps plate the offerings at the Chefs Ball on Saturday, Jan. 19. The Chefs Ball was hosted by Art Smith, who decried the offerings of most balls, saying, "usually, there's just bad food or no food at all. Here, we want the food to be the focus and inspiration." Proceeds from the night went to charities.
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Chef Erik Bruner-Yang from Toki Underground prepared a coconut fish curry in steamed banana leaves for the Chefs Ball to benefit the Cambodian Children's Fund.
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The chefs weren't the only foodies to have their own ball. At the Brewer's Ball at Churchkey on inauguration night. Molly Evans, Peter Harmon, Lindsay Fallon and Katie Beringer all came out in support of Maine microbrewer Oxbow Beer, one of the ten breweries featured at this event.
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The restaurant Equinox served a Sunday brunch on Jan. 20 featuring courses inspired by President Obama and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s favorite foods, including this salad of citrus cured arctic char with watermelon radish, mache leaves and lobster vinaigrette.
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Pate at the hors d'oeuvres table at the Chefs Ball.
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Inspired by President Obama's heritage, Jack Rose Dining Saloon threw a Hawaiian Luau on Inauguration night, complete with a pig roast, flower leis, and hula dancers.
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Nahem Simon, beer director at Jack Rose, gets into the spirit at the luau.
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Inauguration food specials could be found throughout D.C. all weekend, including this "Egg-nauguration" breakfast dog served at DC-3, a hot dog joint near Eastern Market.
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Members of New Jersey Boy Scout Troop 201, in town to help volunteer at the Inauguration Parade, take a boxed lunch break shortly before the president was sworn in for a second term.
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With limited access to food within the parade route, the food trucks able to secure Inauguration Day permits were in constant business, with up to 30-40 minute long lines. Though the Capital Chicken and Waffle food truck did not sell out their fully-packed truck, owner Sharisse Barksdale considered it a resounding success. Their crew will be back on D.C. streets by Thursday.
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Uptown and downtown in D.C. this weekend, some 600,000 people or so celebrated President Obama's second inauguration. And they were hungry.
Veterans Affairs blogger Kate Hoit shows off her "fancy" pretzels and cheese crackers at the official inaugural ball Monday night.
courtesy Kate Hoit
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Reflecting the president's message of diversity, city chefs and caterers turned out everything from highbrow brunches featuring smoked salmon and eggs Benedict to a luau, complete with leis and a spit-roasted pig. And there were plenty of hot dogs and chicken and waffles to be found between the balls.
Unsatisfied with the fare offered at the official inaugural celebrations past, both chefs and brewers threw their own balls — Art and Soul Chef Art Smith teamed up with other local chefs for charity on Saturday, Jan. 20, offering delights like coconut fish curry and mini-roasted lamb gyros.
And the Logan Circle pub ChurchKey hosted a popular Brewer's Ball on Monday night, Jan. 21, highlighting 10 American microbrewers, Many of the brewmasters were in attendance to chat up fans.
As predicted, the official ball food ranged from Cheez-Its to "Chex mix without the Chex" to pretzels. Veterans Affairs Administration blogger Kate Hoit, pictured here, makes the most of her "fancy" pretzel plate.
And at the end of the ceremonies, when the bands and the parades and the people left the Mall, there was a lot of trash left behind. One enterprising artist turned some trash into a tribute to the president, made out of used paper coffee cups. Most people walking by liked the art, says DCist Editor-In-Chief Martin Austermuhle, who snapped this picture at 18th and Constitution Ave., but he added: "I'm not sure the people who had to pick it up felt the same."
