In Washington D.C., where the nation’s business is often conducted at restaurant tables, politics have always been on the plate. This town’s restaurants are run by specialists who know how to handle the elected officials, Cabinet secretaries, White House staff, lobbyists and TV pundits who are regular clientele. But lately, spurred by social media, the country’s politics have entered their dining rooms. And, even the most experienced have had publicized politically-charged incidents.
 
This forum will explore this distinctive element of DC dining.  Longtime area restaurateurs will share their experiences and give insight into how they handle the heightened political mood in DC’s dining rooms. 
 
Hosted by the DC chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier www.LesDamesDC.org, an international organization of women in food, beverage and hospitality industries, and moderated by veteran journalist Carol Joynt, herself a former restaurant owner, the event promises to pull back the curtain on serving DC’s who’s who.
 
Moderated by: Carol Joynt, award-winning author, journalist, former restaurant owner and host of The Q&A Cafe
Panelists:
Ashok Bajaj, CEO, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group which includes Bombay Club, Rasika, Oval Room
Amy Brandwein – owner, Centrolina & 3-time James Beard Foundation nominee
Ruth Gresser – founder & owner, Pizzeria Paradiso restaurants
Laurent Menoud - general manager, Café Milano
Maria Trabocchi –co-owner, Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants, which include Fiola, Fiola Mare, Del Mar, three locations of  Sfoglina, Fiola Miami, and Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia
William Washington - director of operations, Schlow Restaurant Group and former general manager BLT Prime in the Trump Hotel
Stephanie Wilkinson - owner, The Red Hen, Lexington, VA
 
Monday October 14, 2019
3-5 pm
National Press Club – 529 14th Street NW, Washington DC
Tickets: $35 (includes light desserts + cash bar)
 Click here to purchase your ticket. 
TICKET INFO: www.LesDamesDC.org
MEDIA:  Media may request credentials by emailing name, media affiliation, phone number to jill@JillCollinsPR.com

Please join us at this fun, educational and delicious event!  Tickets must be purchased in advance as spaces are limited.  More information is below.  To purchase your tickets on Eventbrite, please click here. 

We hope you can join us for this event on Sunday, March 24th! Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance.  Click here to purchase your tickets on Eventbrite.  The program is below.  

​Join our Global Culinary Initiative for a global pizza-themed workshop that combines traditional inspiration with gourmet innovations.  Amy Riolo will discuss Neapolitan pizza making, Summer Whitford will showcase Tarte Flambe,  Janet Yu will create a Chinese-inspired pizza creation and Janet Cam will share her wine expertise by suggesting wine pairings for each of the pizzas.  
DATE:  Wednesday,  December 12
TIME:  6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
PLACE:  Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center, 10310 Southard Dr, Beltsville, MD 20705
PRICE:   $65 Dames, $75 non- members.
RSVP:  Click here to purchase your tickets on Eventbrite!  The program is below.

Please join us for an evening of food and wine at Barbara Black's new restaurant Black Coffee while learning about wine pairings from Vickie Reh.  New ticket prices have been added, so you can attend with or without purchasing Vickie's new cookbook The Wine Table, Recipes and Pairings from Winemakers's Kitchens.  Ticket cost is $65 (public) or $55 (Dames members only) without the book.  Ticket price including the cookbook is $115 (public) or $105 (Dames members only).  Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance.  For more information, please see the flyer below.  To purchase your tickets on Evenbrite, please click here.  

Please join us for this educational and delicious tour! Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance.  For more information, see below.  To order your tickets, please click here. 

We hope you will join us for this event!  Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance.  Click here to print the program below.  Click here to register for your tickets on Eventbrite!

​SAVE THE DATE AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS
 
VIRGINIA WILLIS SHARES "SECRETS OF THE SOUTHERN TABLE"
Join Virginia Willis as she showcases her latest cookbook "Secrets of the Southern Table" and enjoy a feast of her recipes prepared by Ris Lacoste and her staff.
DATE: Wednesday, August 8
TIME: TBA
PLACE: Ris Restaurant, 2275 L St NW, Washington, DC 20037
 
EDEN CENTER CULINARY WALKING TOUR
Join us for a docent-led culinary tour and tasting of the foods of Vietnam. The Eden Center is Northern Virginia's premier Asian center comprising approximately 120 stores. The Center is the heart and soul of the Vietnamese-American Community for the entire East Coast.
DATE: Saturday, September 22
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
PLACE: Eden Center, 6751 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044
PRICE: TBA

​DATE: Tuesday, May 15, 2018
TIME:  10 am until 1:00 pm
PLACE:  Sotterley Plantation, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD  20636
PRICE:  Members of the Public $45, Dames d'Escoffier Members Only $35
RSVP: Click here to buy your tickets on Eventbrite!  Ticket cost includes docent-led tour and lunch as described below.  

As a follow-up to the Les Dames d'Escoffier tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, what could have a stronger impact than a tidewater plantation tour? We tend to think of Maryland as a Mid Atlantic state, but it is actually south of the Mason Dixon Line and bears the shameful history of slave labor that reverberates in social relationships to this day.  The Sotterley Plantation, founded in 1699, is a testament to all those that lived, labored, and resisted here. It is older than Mount Vernon, watch video: Historic Sotterley

At 10 a.m., on May 15th, visitors will meet at the Sotterley Plantation, about an hour's drive south of Washington, D.C. A docent will talk with our group about slavery, resistance and freedom as we tour the house and gardens, including behind-the-scenes areas upstairs and in the kitchen that are not included in most tours.

We will have a lunch, including samples of two variations of Southern Maryland stuffed ham and a choice of sandwiches, salads, dessert and beverages on the portico.  After lunch, everyone is free to meander the grounds on their own.

The plantation has limited access for people with disabilities and cannot accommodate wheelchairs. Please wear walking shoes.
Ticket cost includes tour and luncheon.
No refunds after May 2, 2018. L
 Sotterley Plantation
44300 Sotterley Lane  ● St. Mary’s County  ● Hollywood, Maryland 20636  
Tel. 301-373-2280
www.sotterleyplantation.com
L
LUNCH MENU  (Please make your lunch selection of sandwich or salad when ordering your ticket)

Choice of Sandwich
(Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Chicken Salad, Veggie Wrap)
Sandwiches are accompanied by a side salad
~or~
Choice of Salad
(Chef or Cobb)
Salads are accompanied by a roll

Unsweetened Ice Tea, Lemonade, or Water
Dessert

SPAIN AND THE FOOD OF THE NUEVO SOUTH
Spanish colonizers brought forth ingredients, techniques, and culinary language that helped shape what we now recognize as both Southern and Latin American foodways. Sandra Gutierrez (NC) will share how Spanish culinary influences made it possible for Latin and Southern foodways to meld. All the while, you will enjoy a traditional Spanish meal made with the most prized ingredients at the base of the new Southern-Latino table. Sandra is the author of four books including The New Southern-Latino Table; Latin American Street Food: The Best Flavors of Markets, Beaches, and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina; and Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America. A former food editor of the Cary (NC) News, she won LDEI's 2017 M.F.K. Fisher Award grand prize of $1,000.
DATE:    Saturday, May 5, 2018
TIME:   12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: Jaleo Crystal City 2250-A Crystal Drive at 23rd Street
               Arlington, VA 22202  www.jaleo.com
PRICE:   $35 for Members of Les Dames,  $45 for public
(non-members' price includes a $10.00 tax-exempt donation for LDEI-DC scholarships) Includes menu below below.  Alcoholic and soft drinks for separate purchase.
RSVP:   Tickets must be purchased in advance.
​               Click here to buy your tickets on Eventbrite!