A Whale of a Tale
Chef Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel’s Joins Drew Barrymore at the Premiere of
Big Miracle
Wednesday Evening, January 25, 2012
The lights, camera, and action of a red carpet film premiere are not the usual territory of a chef, but sometimes there is a story large enough to bring the world of kitchen knives and paparazzi flashes together. This week at the Loews Georgetown Theater in Washington, DC, that story is a whale of a tale. As stars such as Drew Barrymore descend upon the District for the premiere of the upcoming film Big Miracle, which will take fans deep into the heart of Alaska and its waters, chef Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck, and Mussel Bar will be busy bringing the sea to their plates.
Wiedmaier was involved by his cousin, Kevin Adams, who has had a seat on the Alaskan Seafood Marketing Board for many years. For Wiedmaier, the Full Circle Chef, there was no need to ‘break the ice,’ as he is a longtime supporter of Alaskan seafood, both as a member of the Wild Alaska Seafood Congress of Conscious Chefs, and as a chef who has a strong appreciation of the pristine waters of this far northern land. He has been more than a handful of times to Alaska; and in fact, PBS followed Wiedmaier into the crisp, clear waters of Alaska for its Chefs A Field series, filming him fishing, fileting and preparing salmon fit for a feast.
This coming Wednesday, January 25, 2012, from 9-11pm, over 700 people will sample salmon dishes featuring the best of Alaskan waters at the official premiere after-party co-hosted by Sequoia restaurant. Using sockeye salmon delivered straight from the source overnight, Wiedmaier will prepare Salmon Rillettes on Baguette andCured Alaskan Salmon with Asian Spices and a Citrus Emulsion that will highlight the delicate flavor of the sockeye salmon. Both chefs jumped at the opportunity to share their support for this vast region of priceless wilderness.
Although the salmon had to travel thousands of miles to reach the kitchen of Wiedmaier, the distance between Big Miracle and DC is of minnow-proportions: Bonnie Carroll, one of the key players helping to rescue the original whales trapped under the ice, provided a great story line for the movie. Today, Carroll is the President and Co-Founder of The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, [TAPS] a Washington, DC based non-profit that provides compassionate care to all those grieving the death of a Fallen Military Hero in the Armed Forces. The special premiere and gala for the film will help benefit the TAPS program in addition to sharing a very special story, here first in our Nation’s Capital.
For more information on TAPS and this special screening, please visit the TAPS site: www.taps.org/friends/premiere.aspx.
Robert Wiedmaier’s restaurants include:
Brasserie Beck – 1101 K Street NW – 202.408.1717, Marcel’s – 2401 Pennsylvania Ave NW – 202.296.1166, Mussel Bar – 7262 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD 301.215.7817, BRABO – 1600 King Street, Alexandria, VA 703.894.3440
