Last night we also went to the 21st annual Destination & Travel Foundation Dinner & Dream Auction at the Convention Center to recognize the James Beard Foundation, which received the Spirit of Hospitality Award, one of the top honors in the travel and tourism industry. We snapped award-winning chef Art & Soul’s Art Smith and Foundation president Susan Ungaro.

Top chefs collaborated for an ultimate three-course dinner, paired with wines and spirits for an evening full of flavors, starting with oysters from Rappahannock River Oysters. Here, Delta Sigma Theta’s Vida Smith, Centerplate/NBSE’s Nigel Marshall, HRoss Company’s Loleta Ross, MGM Resorts’ Dzidra Junior, and Atlanta CVB’s Heather Turner.

Many local bloggers and foodies joined, including Capital Cooking’s Corey Then and Lauren DeSantis, College & Cook’s Audrey Scagnelli, and Johnna Knows Good Food’s Johnna Rowe.

Craft Beverage Expo’s Kellie Shevlin, M&C’s Kari Smith, CADCA’s Gwynn Breckenridge, and Visit Raleigh’s Jamie Rice.