Members Only Events
Upcoming Events:
Dames Who Read and Reel Tasty 2026 Schedule: Please consider hosting either a book or movie discussion or plan on joining us at these lively small group gatherings. We have lists of suitable books and movies to aid with your selection.
If you have questions about Reel Tasty, contact Gail Forman at gailforman@comcast.net. Questions about Dames Who Read, contact Eileen Dykes at eileendykes@gmail.com.
Discussions are on Zoom, on Monday nights from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
April 20- Dames Who Read
May 18- Reel Tasty
June 15- Dames Who Read
September 28 - Reel Tasty
October 19- Dames Who Read
Dames Who Read: Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge is a cozy historical mystery set in post-World War II Paris. It features an American protagonist, Tabitha Knight, who befriends Julia Child and gets entangled in a murder investigation when a body is found in Julia's building. The book blends historical fiction with a lighthearted whodunit, as Tabitha uses her skills to clear her and Julia's names, navigating the city and its culinary scene while solving the crime. Discussion moderated by Monica Thomas.
If you have any questions, please contact Eileen at eileendykes@gmail.com.
Monday, April 20: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Reel Tasty: Holy Cow (2024), directed by Louise Courvoisier, is a gently humorous coming-of-age film set in the Jura region of France. The story follows 18-year-old Totone, who, after a personal tragedy, must care for his younger sister and attempts to win a cheese-making competition to secure their future. The film skillfully balances regional authenticity, dry wit, and the detailed cheese production process, paralleling Totone’s journey to maturity with his efforts in artisanal cheesemaking and a budding romance. It received four nominations at the 50th César Awards, winning for Best First Film and Best Female Revelation. Available on Kanopy, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and other streaming services. Discussion moderated by Paulette Thompson.
Monday, May 18: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Baltimore Potluck. Sunday, April 12: 1 to 4 p.m.
Mark your calendars for a spring potluck at the home of Cary Kelly in Fells Point. We planned this additional casual get-together to reach more of our Maryland and Delaware Dames, but of course, all are welcome! It will be a beautiful time of year to visit the harbor.
Dames Who Read. Monday, April 20: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge is a cozy historical mystery set in post-World War II Paris. It features an American protagonist, Tabitha Knight, who befriends Julia Child and gets entangled in a murder investigation when a body is found in Julia's building. The book blends historical fiction with a lighthearted whodunit, as Tabitha uses her skills to clear her and Julia's names, navigating the city and its culinary scene while solving the crime. Discussion moderated by Monica Thomas.
If you have any questions, please contact Eileen at eileendykes@gmail.com.
Tours of Annandale’s Koreatown: Global Culinary Initiatives Committee Co-Chairs Susan Barocas and Bonnie Benwick invite you to take advantage of a special offer from Virginialicious, a woman-owned business that offers culinary tours of Koreatown in Annandale. The company has extended a 10 percent discount to our members for three of its tour dates in May. A tour takes three hours on a Saturday afternoon, with tastings of Korean specialties at mom-and-pop places, along with a generous helping of information about Korean culture and cuisine. Vegetarian and other dietary needs are accommodated, and the walking is limited.
As of March 24, these tickets remained: May 2-two (Dames have purchased 10 of the 12 spots); May 9-three (Dames have purchased 9 of the 12 spots); May 23-12 (Dames have requested but not yet purchased 2 of the 12 spots). The discounted ticket price is $80.59, which includes tastings and beverages at four to six establishments, restaurant gratuities, and Eventbrite fees. The remaining tour spots are first-come, first-serve, and Dames can bring one friend.
Please register ASAP by going to Book Now - Virginialicious and picking a date. During checkout, when you get to the window with the number of tickets needed, enter DAMES10 as the promo code. ALSO, please let Bonnie know you’re signing up, as she’s coordinating the Dames’ dates with Virginialicious: benwick.bonnies@gmail.com.
Hands-On Mushroom Foraging Tour and Workshop, Sunday, May 17 | 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Join All Caps, a DC-area mycelium project hub and farm, in partnership with the Dames Green Tables Committee, for an immersive, hands-on mushroom foraging experience in the Mid-Atlantic!
What You’ll Experience:
Guided foraging walk led by experienced mushroom foragers
Learn to identify key regional mushroom species
Understand responsible and sustainable foraging practices
Discover ecological insights and safety essentials
Hands-On + Tasting:
After the walk, gather for an interactive identification session featuring collected and pre-foraged mushrooms. Dive deeper into:
Identification techniques
Best practices & safety considerations
Culinary uses of wild mushrooms
Enjoy a freshly prepared mushroom sauté tasting to sample what was collected, plus a light lunch (optional) provided by your hosts.
Additional Details:
Location: Park trail in Olney, Rockville, or Potomac, MD (exact location TBD soon)
Date & Time: Sunday, May 17 | 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Duration: 3–4 hours
Cost: $95 per person (includes lunch); $85 per person (no lunch)
Open to Dames and guests. Spots are limited—reserve yours today! RESERVE HERE
Past Events:
Winter Potluck: Sunday, January 18th, 1pm
Location: 10820 Alloway Drive, Potomac, Maryland.
Many thanks to Debbie Moser for opening her home for our annual winter get-together, where we catch up over great food and conversation.
We're so excited to be able to get together and reconnect and enjoy a fabulous spread of seasonal dishes. You won't want to miss it!! Bring your favorite ready-to-serve appetizer, main entree, salad, dessert, wine or non-alcoholic beverage. Dames only please.
Hands-On Dumpling Session & Dinner
Chef-restaurateur Tim Ma and his D.C. restaurant Lucky Danger hosted Dames on November 18 for a full and fun evening. The event was organized by our chapter's Global Culinary Initiative with vital assistance from the restaurant’s general manager, Alyssa Hackbarth. After cocktails and a dumpling-making demo–including Chef Tim’s and Chef Robbie Reyes’s special folding lesson–we tried our hands at it with great success! A delicious dinner featured our dumplings cooked and sauced, followed by roasted duck, a noodle and vegetable dish, and sides of cucumber salad, pickled persimmon, and rice served in Chinese takeout containers. After dinner, we learned how to play Hong Kong mahjong in Lucky Danger’s mahjong bar outfitted with automated tables for mixing and setting up the tiles. (Unlike American mahjong, there is no card with set hands to follow.) Lucky Danger’s director of operations, Kati Pirner, and Chef Tim, who has been playing since he was 5, were our teachers for this, as we played our way to the end of a terrific evening.
Philly X DC Dames’ Tour de Fork: The kudos and thanks poured in via email after the October 22 joint gathering between our chapter and members of the Philadelphia chapter (see details in Lori Gardner’s President’s Letter, above). Aside from the camaraderie, the food at Ama was fabulous. An abbreviated description of the menu: focaccia di formaggio, polpette Mondeghili, insalata verde, spaghetti pomodoro, lasagnetta, branzino, rabbit stew, eggplant parmigiana, gelato, and tiramisu.
Chefs For Equality
Dames showed up in full force–cooking, baking, pouring, serving, and dining–at this year's Chefs for Equality events, held at five Washington restaurants on Monday, October 27. Chefs for Equality is a D.C.-born fundraiser to advance the fight for LGBTQ+ equality through the work of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Aside from heading up the chef team at Perry’s “drag brunch for dinner,”
Executive Chef Masako Morishita also hosted the afterparty for the CFE committee and crew.
Dames Volunteer Day at Lederer Gardens, Washington, DC
The Green Tables Committee organized a successful outing on Wednesday, June 11, when seven Dames joined community members at Lederer Gardens. Under the skillful direction of Josh Singer, Community Gardens Specialist for the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, they helped harvest kale, Swiss chard, herbs and flowers; weed, tie up squash and cucumber vines; prepare the garden beds, and repot plants for an upcoming plant giveaway. The festive atmosphere was marked by a cooking demonstration, a bite of lunch, and a tour. Located at 4801 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. NE, Lederer Gardens welcomes volunteers on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
Dames Who Dine, Wednesday
We were thrilled to attend a Dames-only dinner at one of Baltimore's most coveted eateries Alma Cocina Latina. Alma Cocina Latina is not just a restaurant with deeply imaginative, exquisitely crafted food, it is a space that transports you into Venezuelan culture.
Dame Irena Stein, Alma's founder, has created a beautiful space that envelopes you in an oasis of green and wafts of tempting aroma. She and Chef Hector Romero have thoughtfully and generously curated a very special menu served in a private setting with dedicated servers...just for us.
Sip, Savor & Socialize
Guests enjoyed a fun and delicious evening on May 20 at the National Press Club with prosecco, light bites, passed canapes and a brief discussion and sampling of cachaca, a Brazilian distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Peter Banks, founder and CEO of Cachacier, spoke about the spirit while attendees sipped two drinks made with it–Rabo de Galo (aged cachaca, sweet vermouth and bitters) and a Caipirinha Fizz (cachaca, lime juice, simple syrup and club soda). Thanks to Michelle Licht, Director of Events at The National Press Club, for hosting the event.
Volunteer Day at DC Central Kitchen
On April 10, about a dozen Dames swelled the ranks of daily volunteers at DC Central Kitchen’s busy Klein Center for Jobs and Justice at Buzzard Point. Mel Gold, who has served as DCCK’s director of marketing and communications for the past four years, co-directed the Dame volunteers on a pre-shift tour of the kitchens, training spaces, and resource center.
Tasks given to Dames, which were focused on creating meals for DC schools, included chopping a mountain of onions, scrambling huge trays of just-steamed eggs; prepping trays of croissants; mixing mega bowls of sweet potato hash; filling containers of salads and dressings, and more.
Bringing It to the Table 2025: A Day of Connection, Conversation, and Culinary Inspiration
On March 8, 2025, Les Dames d’Escoffier Washington, D.C. Regional Chapter proudly hosted its biennial symposium, Bringing It to the Table. The event brought together a vibrant community of food, beverage, and hospitality professionals for a day of learning, networking, and celebrating the impact women have had on the industry. Held at the Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University, the symposium drew an engaged crowd of chefs, restaurateurs, writers, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and food lovers from across the region.
The day featured thought-provoking panel discussions and interactive workshops—all led by the DMV’s most dynamic women in the industry. Topics ranged from the future of low- and no-alcohol beverages and bread making at home to navigating workforce challenges and advancing gut health. For the first time, the symposium included Table Talks over lunch—intimate, engaging conversations between attendees and speakers, paired with a menu crafted from original recipes by members of our chapter.