MIDDLEBURG, Virginia -- For those attending The Family Reunion at the Salamander Middleburg, the instructions are clear: come as friends, leave as family.
Fostering that level of deep connection at a gathering of roughly 1,000 is no easy feat. But during the annual event's welcome reception on Thursday, attendees were quick to bond over clinking wine glasses, conversation and the Cupid Shuffle.
A four-day celebration of Black culinary excellence, The Family Reunion is now in its fourth year, helmed by Kwame Onwuachi, the James Beard Award-winning chef whose Afro-Caribbean restaurant in New York, Tatiana, is regarded by many -- including the New York Times' Pete Wells -- as one of the city's best. Sheila Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, serves as the event's co-host.
Johnson and Onwauchi lent plenty of star power to the occasion, but it was the food that emerged as the true headliner.
Gathered under a massive white tent, attendees lined up to sample offerings from some of the country's most acclaimed barbecue pitmasters, including smoked beef ribs with a jerk sauce from Chicago-based Brian Jupiter, smoked ribs with a peach mustard sauce from Atlanta's Bryan Furman and a barbecued whole hog from South Carolina's Rodney Scott.
Chef Kwame Onwuachi (left) and Salamander Hotels & Resorts CEO Sheila Johnson welcome guests to The Family Reunion. Photo Credit: Christina Jelski
A mesquite-smoked oxtail from California's Kevin Bludso was especially popular, running out well before the evening's end, while empanada-sized hand pies with a cherry filling, crafted by the Salamander culinary team, made for a sweet finale.
Later on, Johnson and Onwauchi took the stage to extend an official welcome. The mood was celebratory, with Johnson touting Salamander's recent expansion into Washington D.C., as well as highlighting Onwauchi's latest venture, Dogon. The Afro-Caribbean restaurant is slated to open at the Salamander Washington D.C. on Sept. 9.
Johnson also expressed gratitude, thanking the crowd and the event's sponsors -- including United Airlines and AmaWaterways among many others -- for their support.
"Thank you for purchasing your passes and tickets to be here and to have fun, to celebrate, to inspire and be together," said Johnson. "This is the one event of the year when we can really be together safely, in a sense that we can celebrate our heritage and we can celebrate real African-American and Caribbean cuisine."