​
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.
 
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) with contactless pick-up and delivery. 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. Equinox is also offering Passover in a Box!  Enjoy a special five-course menu at home, created to honor the traditions of the holiday, as well as a complimentary "old family-favorite" bottle of Manischewitz Concord Grape to accompany your feast.
 
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. 
 
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 on Sunday, April 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  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 open 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 COVID19 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 READ - DAMES ONLY BOOK CLUB
DATE: Monday, April 20
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: ZOOM call, organized by Drew Faulkner
RSVP: drewcooks@mac.com
BOOK SELECTION:  The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice by Trevor Corson. Available both as a book and an ebook.  Some members have downloaded on Audible.
 
First VP Lori Gardner is working to set up a Zoom "Getting to Know You" next week. Stay tuned!
 
No in-person programs will be organized until further notice due to the threat of COVD-19. We are looking at doing more public and Dames-only  webinars; so, if you have subject and speaker ideas, please reach out to Second VP Edee Hogan, edeehogan@aol.com. We will resume planning  events as soon as is deemed safe for our community and members.

 

 
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.  
 
Stacey Adams' Tastings Gourmet Market in Annapolis has added many more staples and much-needed items to her product line so her customers do not have to go to crowded grocery stores. Her staff's sanitizing procedures and graciousness in handling business was noticed by a MD government tourism division employee. She told the staff that during the pandemic, she is promoting and noting local businesses on her bulletin board. She took a pix of the store and staff and said she would be back to shop. For more info, click here.   
 
Amy Brandwein's Centrolina and Piccolina are closed for dining but both restaurants are offering takeout and delivery. Amy's Centrolina market remains open offering her full line of fresh produce, meats and fish as well as staples and wine. All grocery items can be delivered as well. For more information, click here.  
 
Ruth Gresser's Pizza Paradiso restaurants' dine-in services have closed but all her locations, save Old Town Alexandria, remain open for online orders and delivery.  Click here for more information.  
 
Ris Lacoste's eponymous restaurant RIS is closed until further notice but began takeout and delivery service today. For more information, click here.   
 
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.
For more information, 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 restaurant is closed but continues to offer takeout and delivery services. www.HollywoodEast.com 
 
 
These Dames are using their talents and connections to help during this crisis.
 
Mary Beth Albright's Secret Table video series for The Washington Post featured  "Top food items to stock up on in case you are quarantined" on March 6.  Click here to watch the video. 
 
Jill Collins represents Hook Hall, the event space in ParkView on Georgia Avenue NW that has announced the launch of Hook Hall Helps, a program to assist hospitality industry workers. In partnership with The Restaurant Association  of Metropolitan Washington,  FoodPro and Sysco, 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 are distributed from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. daily through the duration of the COVID19 pandemic, as long as supplies last. Also, Industry Family Meals are provided from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. daily as well. The meals are being donated by area restaurants as well as being prepared by volunteer chefs who are creating hot meals from donated produce and perishables. Dozens of restaurants and suppliers have donated food and product. Occasions Caterers has donated trucks to handle delivery and pick up. For details click here.

PROSPECTIVE NEW MEMBER RECEPTION MARCH 12
 
Come and meet this year's prospective new members. It is a good opportunity to share your experiences as a Dame and learn about how our guests might bring their skills, energies and enthusiasm to our chapter and help with our mission.  
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: The home of Lori Gardner,  13521 Coachlamp Lane, Silver Spring, MD
RSVP: Email  membership@lesdamesdc.org

​DAMES WHO READ: DAMES ONLY BOOK CLUB
DATE: Monday, March 9
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: The home of Eileen Dykes, 14636 Pommel Dr., Rockville, MD 20850
RSVP: eileendykes@gmail.com
BOOK SELECTION: Milk!  by Mark Kurlansky
PRICE: Free. The host provides refreshments

Come and meet this year's prospective new members. It is a good opportunity to share your experiences as a Dame and learn about how our guests might bring their skills, energies and enthusiasm to our chapter and help with our mission.  
DATE:  March 12
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: The home of Lori Gardner,  13521 Coachlamp Lane, Silver Spring, MD
RSVP: Email  membership@lesdamesdc.org

Les Dames DC Professional Development Webinar: The Ins and Outs of Influencer Marketing
February 27, 2020 from 3-4 p.m.  
Join us for an informative webinar with influencer marketing expert Casey Benedict of Kitchen PLAY.  
DATE:  Thursday, February 27, 2020
TIME:   3  to 4 p.m.
RSVP:  Register in advance using this link
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Mtc-6ppjku_2RJx8bTWdpCWPPpuc5Qgg
COST:  This event is free for Les Dames members and $10 for the general public. This webinar has been organized by DC Dame Aviva Goldfarb.
NOTE:  The capacity for the webinar is 100. We will open it to the general public on February 17, so please register now before it fills up.
 
This one-hour webinar will cover:    

• Why work with influencers? And some success stories
• How to determine which influencers are a good fit for your company and goals
• How to vet influencers you find (or who find you)
• How to work with influencers
• Negotiating do's and don'ts with influencers to get the most ROI and avoid costly mistakes

Casey will also leave time to answer your specific questions. 
 
About our speaker:
As founder and CEO of Kitchen PLAY, Casey Benedict has been at the leading edge of influencer marketing since 2010. She has guided many of the world's top brands, agencies and agricultural boards in successfully navigating the ever-changing world of influencer marketing while developing effective strategies to drive their growth. Casey has built a community of more than 2,000 culinary influencers across the globe and her groundbreaking conferences have brought together major brands including KitchenAid, Calphalon, OXO, Sun-Maid, California Avocados, Sugar in the Raw, US Potatoes (and many more), to move the industry forward through education and connection.