HOW DAMES STEP UP
Dames answering the call to serve in our communities
 
Here is a list of Dames and their restaurants and shops that are continuing to serve our communities and keep our industry alive. Please avail yourself of their services and encourage your friends to do the same.  Also, please check the restaurants' websites for the most updated information about pickup and delivery.
   
Gladys Abi-Najm:   Lebanese Taverna is offering Home cooked meals to go for delivery or carry out. A meal for four is $39 (traditional hummus, salad, rice, chicken or beef shawarma) ; the salmon dinner is $14 (grilled salmon filet, baba ghannoush) and its Mezza Madness is $39.
 
Stacey Adams: Tastings Gourmet Market .  
This specialty foods shop is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. "We feel we have a responsibility to you, our amazing customers, to provide a safe and clean environment to purchase much needed food right now,"  says Stacey. "We have enhanced our product lines to offer more basic staples of perishable and non-perishable food items in addition to our  always delicious specialties including imported cheeses, olives, pastas and condiments as well as homemade prepared dishes.  As restaurants close, you can look to us to purchase ingredients and prepared foods from a place that you know and trust. Our daily cleaning has been enhanced by hourly sanitation measures and even more frequent wipe-downs of critical areas." info@tastingsgourmetmarket.com 
 
Barbara Black:  Black Salt Fish Market  is open and offering carryout and delivery.
 
Jessica Botta , Director of Training and Culinary Development for Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants  informs us that Fiola Mare is open for curbside pickup or white glove home delivery within D.C., of wine, spirits and food, Monday through Thursday and on Saturday, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..   Jessica also told us of the Fabio Trabocchi Disaster Relief Fund (created with fiscal sponsor, Greater Washington Community Foundation). Grants from the fund are being used to help the restaurant's furloughed employees in Washington, DC, Arlington, Va., and Miami, Fl. and other individuals and contractors whose lives are adversely impacted by the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. The grants are to meet short-term critical needs of shelter, food, clothing and medical care.
Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants continues to make deposits into this fund with every eGift purchased, through donations added to online orders for pickup or delivery from Fiola Mare and Sfoglina Van Ness, and of course, through individual donations made by others. Since the fund was inaugurated on March 20, it has received nearly $60,000 in donations, which is already being distributed through grants to its furloughed employees. 

Amy Brandwein's Centrolina and Piccolina are closed for dining but both restaurants are offering takeout and delivery. Amy's Centrolina Mercato remains open offering her full line of fresh produce, meats and fish as well as and staples and wine. All grocery items can be delivered as well.
 
Ellen Gray: Equinox is offering Nox Boxes (as in Equi-NOX) -Brunch Boxes and Weekly Boxes--with contactless pick-up and delivery. Brunch Tasting Menu $40.00. Add mimosas for $20! The Weekly Menu: Enjoy three courses for $45.00 or four courses for $50.00 with bread service. Or order a la carte! Tax, gratuity and delivery fees not included. 

Ruth Gresser :  Pizza Paradiso carry out daily Dupont, Spring Valley and Georgetown locations and Friday to Sunday at her Hyattsville restaurant. DC Pizza Paradiso also offering carry out beer and wine.  I i n an effort to support the community during COVID-19, Pizzeria Paradiso's chef and founder, Ruth Gresser began donating 10,000 pizzas to children and families in need and frontline workers on Thursday, April 9 and will continue, while supplies last, for the next ten Thursdays.  Also, this week, in conjunction with Real Food for Kids: Chefs Feeding Families and Art Works Now, Pizzeria Paradiso is distributing 300 individual pizzas in Hyattsville to help support families impacted by closed schools. Every individual served will receive a vegetable and whole grain crust pizza, and an Art Works Now MANDALA Coloring Sheet. It also is taking pizzas to senior citizens in Hyattsville and to Children's Hospital, GW Hospital and Hook Hall Helps.  Over the next ten weeks, Paradiso will accept suggestions for additional donation sites to support those in need during this time. If you would like to donate in support of 10,000 Pizzas, you can do so here. You may also suggest a drop-off location by e-mailing info@eatyourpizza.com.   The 10,000 Pizzas project receives further support from Prince George's County Council Member Deni Taveras and the Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council. Pizzeria Paradiso will continue to support the mission of Real Foods For Kids: Chefs Feeding Families by supplying vegetable and whole grain pizzas for Northern Virginia families each weekend through this crisis. You can find more information and support Real Foods For Kids: Chefs Feeding Families here .
 
Maria Kopsidas of Cookology, has created at her Ballston location "ReHeat and Serve Meal Kits" for pick up.  These catered meals have been created by Cookology's Chef Javier Loayza and Cookology21 student and Chef Tech, Andrew Garcia. As the only two chefs in the kitchen, sanitation standards are kept high while the chefs prep and cook. Once the dishes are made, they are cooled and packed and kept refrigerated until picked up.  Each kit serves four to six people, generously and is $16.25 per person, plus wine or beer (optional) and 6% tax.
 
Ris Lacoste's eponymous restaurant RIS offers takeout and curbside pickup between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.  and free delivery to its West End and adjacent neighborhoods between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. through her Ris' Soup Kitchen, Monday through Friday. Order her carry-out soup, romaine wedge salad and bread for $15. Her daily offerings including crispy Thai Brussels sprouts, Chicken Milanese and Ris Meatloaf, plus dessert and a wine basket offering.  Info at  hosts@risdc.com
 
Katharine Mardirosian 100 Bowls of Soup, in Herndon VA is open for take-out and curbside pick-up only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please call ahead to place your order (703) 466-5130. Katherine is posting soup recipes to encourage home cooking.
 
Michelene Mendelsohn and her family's  Sunnyside Restaurant Group
which includes We The Pizza, Santa Rosa Taqueria and Good Stuff Eatery, are  open for delivery and takeout. As a special service, it is generously offering Kids Eat Free during the COVID-19 pandemic at all of its restaurants.  
 
Debbie Moser:
Central Farm Markets   The Bethesda Central Farm Market is scheduled to be open as usual at Bethesda Elementary School from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Check their website for updates. The NOVA Central Farm Market is open at a temporary location, Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  
Nona Nielsen-Parker: Atwaters Restaurant (Baltimore) has carryout and curbside pickup at all five locations. Atwaters is taking orders for quick pick up at all farmers markets prepaid on its website.  
 
Christianne Ricchi : i Ricchi  has announced the i Ricchi Food Club.  "I have been feeding you in "my house" for over 30 years," says Christianne, "and starting today I am here to help you feed your soul and family in YOUR home as we all adapt to this new social-distancing reality."  The i Ricchi Food Club is a pre-paid pickup food service that curates authentic Italian cuisine with a pre-set four-course menu for two to eight people. Each week, Christianne hand-crafts a different dining experience that will transport her clients through Italy with paired wines and spirits.  All you have to decide is how many times a week you want to join in her virtual culinary travels . She does everything else. For more information call (202) 835-0459 or click here.  
Suzanne Simon's and Bettina Stern's Chaia Tacos are closed but continue to offer takeout.  Innovatively, they have created a Chaia Enchilada Supper Club with a changing lineup of tacos offerings each day to order on Mondays and Wednesdays for pickup on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. at their Georgetown and Chinatown locations.
 
Janet Yu's   Hollywood East Cafe is closed for the next two weeks. It will reopen open during the week of April 27 for takeout, curbside pickup and delivery services. Dim Sum is available! Order online at  hollywoodeastcafe.com or download the app.

               
Dames are creating ways to expand markets for their specialty products
 
Jodi Lehr :  Santa Lucia Estate Coffee   Santa Lucia Estate Coffee is reaching out to the community to build an online market beyond its hotel and restaurant clients. It offers free shipping and is a great way to try a new coffee without leaving the house.  
 

Dames are offering cooking demos to help the home-bound eat more interesting and healthful foods...and learn along the way.
 
Mary Beth Albright created "The Quarantine Cooking Show" for WashingtonPost.com. Mary Beth shows you the items to stock up on when you are quarantined and offers recipe demonstrations from coconut rice to Quarantinis!
 
Pati Jinich is creating cooking demo videos and posting them on her social media sites. Follow here on Instagram.
 
Alba Johnson is conducting free virtual video cooking class for children and young teens while they are at home with closed schools.  Chef Alba offers a  video call with a group or one-on-one to conduct a demo for a simple recipe from start to finish.  The recipes and demos are arranged and scheduled in advance with the chef and parent or organizer. For large groups, such as Girl Scout troop earning badges, Chef Alba schedules a zoom or other platform to conduct the demo from various locations. Contact her at  aejhome@yahoo.com
 
Dames are retooling their businesses to meet the needs of clients in the COVID19 age.
 
Katherine Tallmadge has created a "Silver Lining" approach for her nutrition clients and those who subscribe to her newsletter. She assembled a pantry list, offers recipes and other ideas to make the best and healthiest choices during this challenging time...or any time.
 
Dames are using their talents and connections and working with their clients to help during this crisis.
 
Jill Collins is assisting her client, Hook Hall, the event space on Georgia Avenue, with the Hospitality Workers Relief Program, Hook Hall Helps . This effort was created to provide food and necessary supplies to our colleagues in restaurants, hotels, clubs, bars and entertainment venues who have lost their jobs. Initially organized by Hook Hall owner, Anna Valero, the project has seen leaders in the industry join as partners. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington was the first to step up. Occasions Catering followed to provide a large refrigerated truck for food donations and send its smaller trucks to pick up and deliver donations. Sysco and PFG/Performance Food Group have donated hundreds of pounds of supplies and produce. Queen Vic owner and chef Ryan Gordon volunteers to turn the daily deliveries into hot meals for the displaced workers. Hook Hall employees and volunteers are assembling care kits for pick up at Hook Hall. The kits include shelf-stable foods and paper goods and will be distributed from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. daily through the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, as long as supplies last. Also, Industry Family Meals are provided from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. daily as well. For details, click here. Media from all over the world has covered Hook Hall Helps. In its first two weeks Hook Hall Helps distributed over 5000 supply bags and dinners.
 
Sheila Crye: moderated a video conference of the IACP Cooking Schools and Teachers group, attended by 25 members. Sheila says: "The independent cooking schools are really suffering during this "pause" in the economy. Most of us are interested in developing paid online classes. We exchanged information comparing the various platforms and shared experiences. We also started a couple Google Docs. One is for sharing links to pertinent articles and online resources and the other is a spreadsheet with our contact information. I feel that my clients might pay a reduced price for online participation classes. That is, I send them the shopping list and recipes and we cook simultaneously. Will let you know when I have more to report."
 
Lori Gardner is aggregating information on her Been There Eaten That  blog about the DC area restaurant industry "DC Area Restaurants and COVID-19: How Can We Help?"

DAMES WHO DRINK-ONLINE!
If sheltering-in-place with your family has you feeling isolated from your sister Dames, please join us for an upcoming Dames Who Drink Zoom call.  You do not need to cook a thing!  Just join us on Zoom this Saturday, April 18th at 5:00 p.m., using the link below.  Settle in with one of your favorite cocktails, mocktails or glass of wine, be prepared to share a story or two about your drink and enjoy the companionship.
DATE:   Saturday, April 18
TIME : 5:00 p.m.
PLACE:  ZOOM call, organized by  Drew Faulkner  
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91011747746?pwd=ekQ3NlNZaGhlVFFNK3RjdEpwUWN1Zz09 
Meeting ID: 910 1174 7746
Password: 994207 ​