Chef Jose Andres' Jaleo Turns 20; Sonia Sotomayor, Steve Case, Mark Warner, AMBs Celebrate

PENN QUARTER -- There were lines snaking around the blocks of Penn Quarter last night, as thousands of music fans turned out to see soft rock megaband Fleetwood Mac perform at the Verizon Center.

But there was an even hotter ticket just down the street at Spanish tapas restaurant Jaleo, as the pioneering small plate eatery feted its 20th anniversary with an exclusive party that drew many of the District's notables.

Indeed, joining celebrity chef José Andrés and partner Rob Wilder for the night was everyone from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to Senator Mark Warner to D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray to AOL co-founder Steve Case to Haitian Ambassador Paul Altidor to Spanish Ambassador Ramon Gil-Casares, among dozens of other CEOs, journalists, and friends.

What now seems commonplace to Washingtonians -- a vibrant Penn Quarter teaming with restaurants and shops -- was a crime infested hotspot in the early '90s. As the legend goes, undeterred, Andrés, Wilder, and Roberto Alvarez opened Jaleo in 1993 to rave reviews. And the rest is foodie history.

Building on the small plate concept, parent company ThinkFoodGroup has since gone on to open Mexican (Oyamel) and Greek/Mediterranean (Zaytinya) variants, in addition to expanding the Jaleo brand with Bethesda, Crystal City, and Las Vegas locations.

As his restaurant empire and personal brand grew, Andrés expanded his goalposts beyond the culinary realm to tackle less palatable issues, such as poverty, hunger, and homelessness (through his work with DC Central Kitchen) and immigration reform.

Such social and political activism provided arguably D.C.'s most famous chef a platform through which he could give back to the communities that had always supported him. And earned him many famous friends in the process, as evidenced by yesterday's all-star turnout.

Yet, for Andrés, everything always seemingly can be traced back to his food. After all, where else did Justice Sotomayor wind-up after Tuesday's reception but at nearby barmini.

Such customer loyalty (and reciprocal appreciation) is how twenty years will soon become forty. Happy birthday Jaleo!