Join us for happy hour at Ometeo, an upscale Tex-Mex restaurant created by Long Shot Hospitality in partnership with Chef Gabe Erales, the first Latino to win Top Chef. New member Rivka Alvial is the bar manager there, and we hope other new members will attend this casual get-together so we can get a chance to get to know you! Everyone pays for their own margaritas, chicken tinga tacos (and more). Monday, October 7: 6 to 8 p.m. 1640 Capital One Drive North, Tysons, Va. Onsite parking or Silver Line to McLean. RSVP to Aviva Goldfarb at [email protected]

Dames Who Read: Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena, by Julia Reed.

Food writer Jeffrey Steingarten calls Reed’s writing “funny and addictive, blending the street smarts of Greenville, Mississippi, where 'girls are taught to drink Scotch and smoke cigarettes and drive a car by the time they are twelve,' with the sophistication of a globe-trotting journalist. Julia's favorite subjects are Southern--fashion, politics, and above all food, which she describes with irresistible affection, knowledge, and delight."
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Monday, October 21: Hybrid meeting (in person and Zoom), hosted by Janet Cam and Bonnie Benwick, who will be preparing a seated dinner (limited to 10) made with recipes from the book.

Dinner starts at 6:30, discussion starts at 7. Location is Janet’s house at 12608 Exchange Court N, Potomac, Md.

Please RSVP to [email protected] by Friday, October 18.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3019868540
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​The Taste of Things (2023). Set in France in 1889, the film follows the life of a chef and his love affair with his live-in personal cook Eugenie (played by Juliette Binoche). The entire first 38 minutes of the film center on scenes of cooking in a big country kitchen. For a taste, check out the trailer here. Available on Amazon, Apple TV, and other streaming services. Discussion moderated by Eileen Dykes.
Please RSVP to Eileen at [email protected] if you are planning to join the discussion.
Of course, last-minute drop-ins are also welcome.
Monday, September 16: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3019868540

Dames Who Read: The Core of an Onion. Peeling the Rarest Common Food- Featuring More Than 100 Historical Recipes, by Mark Kurlansky. As Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions.” Historically, she's been right-and not just in the kitchen. Flourishing in just about every climate and culture around the world, onions have provided the essential basis not only for sautés, stews, and sauces, but for medicines, metaphors, and folklore. Kurlansky sets out to explore how and why the crop reigns from Italy to India and everywhere in between. (Extra credit: Bonnie Benwick reviewed the book in the February 11 issue of The Washington Free Beacon; check it out here.)  Dames members only. 
Zoom discussion moderated by Eileen Dykes.
Please RSVP to Eileen at [email protected].
Tuesday, June 18, 7-8:30 p.m.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3019868540

Reel Tasty: Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto, 2008), set in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood, is “an utterly charming tale of good food, feisty ladies and unlikely friendships during a very Roman holiday,” according to Kanopy. Middle-aged Gianni resides with his 93-year-old mother, and when the condo debts mount, all will be forgiven if he looks after the building manager’s mother and auntie, as well as a doctor friend’s mother. Now, Gianni must keep these lively mamas well-fed and happy in cramped quarters. On Kanopy. Discussion moderated by Carole Sugarman. Please RSVP to Gail Forman at [email protected] if you are planning to join the discussion. Of course, last-minute drop-ins are also welcome.
Monday, May 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3019868540

Dames Who Read: The Core of an Onion. Peeling the Rarest Common Food- Featuring More Than 100 Historical Recipes, by Mark Kurlansky. As Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions.” Historically, she's been right-and not just in the kitchen. Flourishing in just about every climate and culture around the world, onions have provided the essential basis not only for sautés, stews, and sauces, but for medicines, metaphors, and folklore. Kurlansky sets out to explore how and why the crop reigns from Italy to India and everywhere in between. (Extra credit: Bonnie Benwick reviewed the book in the February 11 issue of The Washington Free Beacon; check it out here.) Zoom discussion moderated by Eileen Dykes. Please RSVP to Eileen at [email protected].
Tuesday, June 18, 7-8:30 p.m.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3019868540

​Les Dames in Normandy Gala & Auction: Everything is falling into place, including the chefs, the menu, the sponsors and the auction. But we need your help. Here are ways all Dames can contribute to the gala: ● Sell tickets! An email was sent to you with language designed to use on social media and in your own email lists to friends and associates. If you missed it, please check out the social media toolkit here. Also, spots are still available at VIP tables for Joan Nathan, Toni Tipton-Martin and David Hagedorn. Tables for Carla Hall and Tom Sietsema are sold out. ● Got a lead on great auction items? See Sheila’s letter above for details, and remember to contact Janet Cam at [email protected] with any questions or ideas. ● Do you have clear glass vases and clear glass votives? We need them for our gala tables. Clear glass vases should be no taller than six inches and wide enough to hold a small bouquet; clear glass votives should be two inches tall, and can be round or square. Also needed: LED tea light/s. Contact Bonnie Benwick at [email protected] for dropoff/pickup details. ● Most importantly, purchase your ticket and attend! Monday, June 3, 6:30 to 10 p.m. La Maison Française of the Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, NW Washington D.C. Click here for tickets and lots more information.