With the exception of Food Network Star Giada De Laurentiis‘ trek to Graffiato Saturday night, the culinary stars of this past weekend’s Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show avoided D.C.’s see-and-be-seen eateries and opted for more casual settings.
On Saturday night, Guy Fieri, the host of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” chowed down at the Dupont sushi joint Sushi Taro and spent Sunday at a Redskins tailgate. “He said, ‘can I cook?’ and I said, ‘no,'” laughed Paul Gorgei, who played the role of Fieri’s handler at the Convention Center Saturday and whose day job is director of sports sales for ESPN 980 Redskins Radio. There, Fieri gobbled up some of the Cincinnati chili from the Hard Times Cafe before getting to spend some time down on the field.
Paula Deen, the other big name attraction at the Metro cooking show, kept it casual by ordering room service Saturday night from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
