The District’s iconic Watergate Hotel will host an all-star chef dinner Tuesday to honor French culinary expert Jean-Louis Palladin, whose restaurant has been a staple of the hotel since 1979. Palladin ran the restaurant until his death in 2001 from lung cancer.
The five-course meal, taking place at The Watergate’s Kingbird restaurant, will also celebrate the hotel’s 50th anniversary. Such chef luminaries as Michael Laiskonis, Paul Liebrandt, as well as the District’s own Brian McBride and Robert Wiedmaier are all contributing to the meal’s menu. Mr. Wiedmaier has been executive chef of The Watergate since 1996. Kingbird Executive Chef Michael Santoro assembled the team of chefs in order to honor Palladin with a French-inspired menu.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate The Watergate’s 50th anniversary with a tribute dinner to the chef who put this hotel’s restaurant scene on the map,” Mr. Santoro said in a statement. “It is extremely humbling and exciting to carry on the culinary legacy of this property, today.”
“In 1996, I received a call from the Watergate Hotel asking if I was interested in the executive chef position … I made sure I had Jean-Louis’ blessing before accepting and even threw him a going-away party,” Mr. Wiedmaier said in a statement.
Tickets to the dinner are $250, which includes course wine pairings, and can be purchased at EventBrite.com.
• Eric Althoff can be reached at twt@washingtontimes.com.
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