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When ticket-holders to Rock the Block gather Nov. 7 in Old Town Alexandria to sample food and drink across the city at top restaurants, they'll be helping families across the country.
The event is a fundraiser for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, whose national office is located in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood. The center assisted in more than 27,000 missing children cases last year.
Journalists and food bloggers Thursday night got a tour of the NCMEC headquarters at 333 John Carlyle St. The center hopes to raise $200,000 from the event, twice as much as they raised at last year's inaugural event, according to Brian MacNair, executive director of development.
The center, started 35 years ago, includes a call center as well as a forensics lab, where the staff works using cutting-edge technology to create age-progression images of missing children. MacNair and other staff discussed the important work of the center.
After the tour, journalists were invited to preview some of the food that will be a part of the Nov. 7 celebration, at Tequila & Taco and Whiskey & Oyster. Owner Mike Anderson was on hand to talk about his restaurants' participation in the fundraiser.
Some of the items from the Thursday night preview included pomegranate margaritas, pork belly tacos and ceviche at Tequila & Taco; at Whiskey & Oyster, mussels, calamari, duck spring rolls, kung pao cauliflower, grilled oysters and a seafood tower.
Participating restaurants also include:
- Sweet Fire Donna's & Lost Boy Cider, at a pop-up at the Charles Schwab office in Carlyle. Includes music and a photo booth.
- Joe Theismann's Restaurant
- Vermilion
- Augie's Mussel House
- The Majestic
- Columbia Firehouse
- Pizzeria Paradiso
- Mia's Italian Kitchen
Each of the restaurants will host ticket-holders from 6-9 p.m. General admission is $125 for the event. VIP tickets are $300 and include a reception from 5-6:30 p.m. at the center as well as an after-party with dessert, signature cocktails, dancing and special guests Chef Spike Mendelsohn and Chef David Guas at Urbano 116 from 9-11 p.m.
Here's where you can purchase tickets.
