Members Only Events

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 5 pm to 9:30 pm: LDEDC’s Global Culinary Initiatives Committee invites you to a Dames-only, hands-on dumpling session, dinner, + mahjong lesson.

Chef-restaurateur Tim Ma of Lucky Danger and his GM, Dame Alyssa Hackbarth, are hosting 26 lucky Dames for a special evening of Chinese culinary + culture.

The first 15 Dames who sign up for this event are eligible for a free 1.5-hour lesson on Hong Kong mahjong in Lucky Danger’s whiskey/mahjong bar.

Price of $97.50 includes a welcome cocktail/mocktail, the cooking session, a three-course dinner with N/A beverages, tax, gratuities, and LDEDC’s 2.5% credit card processing fee. Spirited beverages extra. Due to the increased cost of credit card processing, this price includes a fee of 2.5% to cover our costs.

  • 5:00 pm: Welcome cocktail/mocktail

  • 5:30 to 6-ish: Demo + dumpling lesson with Lucky Danger executive chef Robbie Reyes (with vegetarian option)

  • 6:15 to 8 pm: Dinner served family-style (includes dumplings we make and other entrees; vegetarian options)

  • 8 to 9:30 pm: Mahjong class for the 15 Dames; other Dames who dined are welcome to hang at the bar during this time, or head home

Register here! No refunds will be given for cancellations received after November 15 or for no-shows.

Past Events:

Philly x D.C. Dames’ Tour de Fork - Wednesday, October 22

On Wednesday, October 22, the Philly chapter is hitting the road to join us for a day in D.C., and you’re invited to come along for the ride! Chef and Dame Johanna Hellrigl will host the group for a meal at Ama, her Northern Italian restaurant in the Navy Yard. Hellrigl will share the inspiration and background of the dishes, which will be served family-style. This is a Dames-only event.

Dames Who Dine + Karaoke

What better way to celebrate fall than with a mouthwatering Chinese buffet and feisty singalongs? Join Dames Who Dine on September 17th at 7pm for a fun, tasty evening at Nosh Grillhouse/East Dumpling House! You won't want to miss this one. We'll be enjoying a buffet style meal and show off our singing skills with karaoke (singing is optional, of course).

Cost: $46.95 includes dinner and gratuity. Beverages will be sold separately. This event is for Dames only. Seating is limited, so register soon!

Location: Nosh Grillhouse/East Dumpling House, 12 N Washington Street, Ste 7G, Rockville, MD. Parking on-site.

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.