A Night to Remember - Sugar and Champagne 2015

By:  Jennifer Duff
Capital Cooking Contributor

The Washington Humane Society’s annual dessert and champagne reception is one of my favorite nights of the year.  An event hosted by Chef Todd Gray & Ellen Kassoff Gray of Equinox features delicious desserts to honor local crusaders against animal cruelty.  This year's celebration did not disappoint with chocolate, bubbly and furry friends as far as the eye could see...

The Chefs' VIP Tasting Room offered pet owners and their best friends savory dishes such as smoked trout parfait (from Brabo) and beet sandwiches topped with picked onions and served with sweet potato chips (from Chef Todd Gray).

Other small plates included a cheese tray from Righteous Cheese and hand-made raviolis atop roasted vegetables from Il Forno in Arlington.

While we dined on small snacks, the general reception room was busy setting up for the main event.

Two rooms filled with pastries, chocolate, champagne, wine and confections, there was something for everyone, including four legged friends (a Shake Shack treat).

There was so much to choose from, it was hard to decide where to start and what to taste. 

My two favorite desserts for the night were the rice krispy treats from Society Fair,

and the meyer lemon cakes from BLT Steak (coupled with an appearance from their new Chef, Will Artley).

Overall, it was a great evening to celebrate the many decadent art forms of sugar with sips of champagne. 

And by the end of the night, I realized that I might have been better off with a bib just like Al, the Great Dane.  Cheers!