Local Talent Collaborates on Juneteenth Celebration
Written by Kaitlin Hill
On Wednesday, June 19, Wendy and Chloe Osborn, Chef Pete Smith, and Kindra Dionne joined forces to celebrate Juneteenth with a carefully curated evening of delicious food, fabulous wine, memorable speeches, and great company at the Piedmont Club in Haymarket.
Celebrations kicked off in Middleburg with an exclusive shopping experience at Chloe’s before the party moved to the Piedmont Club, where Chef Pete Smith treated attendees to four courses of African-, Southern-, and Caribbean-inspired food all expertly paired with Dionne’s Fifty Leven wines.
In his opening remarks to a crowd of 70 guests, Chef Pete Smith issued a warning: “If you don’t like flavor, get out.”
Flavor was certainly front and center in the cast-iron honey cornbread, which guests slathered in his homemade strawberry preserves or herb-and-garlic butter. His famous Fire & Ice pickles were passed around the table, too, adding the perfect vinegary touch to cut the sweetness of the cornbread.
The first course of salmon croquettes with grits and green tomato chowchow was a fun twist on the classic shrimp and grits. The delicate salmon croquette and creamy Vidalia onion grits paired perfectly with Fifty Leven’s 2020 Petit Manseng. The wine’s “tropical vibes,” with notes of melons, apricots, and green apple, supplied a sharp contrast to the buttery richness of the grits, resulting in a well-balanced first course difficult to resist.
The main event was a celebration of seafood, with just-cooked shrimp perched on Maryland soft-shell crabs nestled in a bowl of gumbo with rice and trinity — the South’s answer to mirepoix. Dionne supplied her 2020 Heritage, a Bordeaux-style wine blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. While most reach for a white wine with seafood-forward dishes, the hearty gumbo handled the black fruit, vanilla, and cassis undertones of Heritage beautifully.
The final savory course of the evening was fall-off-the-bone tender short ribs with a decadent mac and cheese and smoked turkey collard greens — the ultimate comfort food. The Petit Verdot not only complemented the dish, but its notes of chocolate mocha and its herbaceous quality made it enjoyable to drink even on a hot day.
Dessert was too good to photograph, and devoured quickly by the crowd. Chef Pete Smith’s sweet potato pie with pecan streusel and caramelized marshmallows was cloud-like to eat and nostalgic to experience, with campfire flavors and a strudel better than any grandmother could make. Dionne’s Creme Brûlée Port was a dessert course in its own right — smooth and syrupy with notes of vanilla, brown sugar, and warming spices.
Beyond the masterful menu, the company made the evening memorable. The insightful words from both Wendy and Chloe on the history of Juneteenth, comedic culinary commentary from Chef Pete Smith, and the touching toasts lead by Dionne created an atmosphere where everyone felt like family.
Dionne’s Petit Manseng dedication summed up the evening nicely. Addressing the crowd of old companions, new connections, locals, and visitors, Dionne read, “We are gathered here today to celebrate excellence, commemorate achievement, and honor our collective progress. This is the beginning of a bright and colorful future.”
Guests of the event left with full stomachs and hearts, new friends, and a greater appreciation of the unique and important history of Juneteenth. ML
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Chef Pete Smith, formerly of Market Salamander, is currently the executive chef of the Piedmont Club. He has over 25 years of experience from notable restaurants in the culinary industry, including Restaurant Merde, where he was Florida’s youngest African-American chef to lead a Four Diamond establishment. For more information on Chef Pete Smith, visit cheffeature.com.
For Dionne, winemaking is a passion and a profession. Self-described as an “old soul with a love for discovering new things,” Dionne is also a standout in an industry where Black winemakers are underrepresented. Her Fifty Leven wine collection was established in 2021 and offers wine drinkers her unique, and distinctly fun, take on varietals like Petit Verdot, Port, and Petit Menseng. For more information on Fifty Leven wines, visit fiftylevencollection.com.
Posted on July 11, 2024.