Washington parties on at CNN’s frat-style brunch

Nerd Prom might have ended Saturday night, but Washington bigwigs partied on Sunday morning at CNN’s first post-White House Correspondents Association dinner brunch.

{mosads}After a weekend of correspondents’ dinner festivities filled with open bars and heavy drinking, CNN’s mimosas and bloody marys proved to be the perfect hangover cure for many partygoers. Others turned to the coffee bar for a wake-up call.

“I feel like we came to a first responder trauma center, where the wounded are being treated,” joked GOP strategist Ron Bonjean, as he sipped on an orange juice.

Bonjean capped off the weekend at CNN’s brunch after attending The Hill’s pre-correspondents’ dinner party at the Canadian Embassy and the New Media party at the Carnegie Library.

CNN’s frat-style party, hosted by Toolbox Studio in DuPont Circle, offered everything from beer pong to video games.

The ground level featured an Instagram photo booth, skee ball, mimosas, coffee and typical breakfast items.

For those in the mood for breakfast, partygoers were treated to waffles with a rum-spiked syrup, and biscuits and gravy. CNN also served a number of sliders with cheeseburgers, crab and Portobello mushrooms.

Upstairs, the media company brought in two tables specifically designed for beer pong, an Xbox and a golf putting game.

Those who ventured upstairs were treated to offerings from Ben’s Chill Bowl, which served up a full range of chili dogs and chili cheese fries.

A Ben’s Chili Bowl representative confirmed to The Hill it will be opening a new restaurant on the H Street corridor on May 20, after originally planning to open the new location last fall.

The iconic local restaurant, which has for years offered free food to President Obama and Bill Cosby, voiced support for the struggling comedian who is facing allegations that he sexually assaulted multiple women.

“He’s still family to us,” said Ben’s Chili Bowl spokeswoman Vida Ali, though she admitted it is a “sad situation.”

Those spotted at the party include CNN’s senior political reporter Chris Moody, who didn’t let a Costa Rica volcano eruption stop him from returning from vacation in time for the weekend’s festivities.

In addition to Moody, those turning out from CNN included political producer Dan Merica, who is covering Hillary Clinton’s campaign; video producer Cassie Spodak and digital producer Eric Weisbrod, among others.

Others spotted guests included Rob Saliterman, who leads the U.S. politics team at Google; Daily Mail White House correspondent Francesca Chambers and her husband, Michael Moroney.

CNN handed out gift baskets to guests leaving the party.