Members Only Events
Upcoming Events:
Dames Who Dine, Wednesday, July 30, 7 - 10 PM
We are thrilled to invite you 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.
Cost: $90 includes dinner and gratuity. Beverages will be sold separately. This event is for Dames only. Seating is limited, so register soon! Location: Alma Cocina Latina, 1701 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Reel Tasty & Dames Who Read 2025
Our foodie film and book discussions are great ways to gather informally with members for interesting, spirited conversations. 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. Please consider hosting either a book or movie discussion; Gail and Eileen have lists of suitable movies and books to aid with your selection. All discussions take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Reel Tasty is via Zoom; Dames Who Read is a hybrid of Zoom and in-person.
Reel Tasty:
Monday, September 15
Dames Who Read:
Monday, October 21
Summer Potluck, Sunday, August 24: 1 to 4pm
Mark your calendar to attend our summer potluck. This is an informal gathering of Dames where we showcase our culinary talent; meet and mingle; enjoy the beautiful home of Linda Roth; make new friends and connect with old. We hold two potluck events per year and they are a treasured opportunity to gather.
Register below and sign up to bring a dish. Your dish should be designed to feed 6-8 people. Signing up for one appetizer, for instance, assumes that quantity. If cooking isn’t your jam, bring a store-bought goodie or beverage.
Reel Tasty, Monday, September 15: 7 to 8:30pm
Nonnas (2025) is a heartwarming story inspired by the real-life Italian restaurant Enoteca Maria, where grandmothers, or nonnas, from different regions of Italy cook traditional dishes. The restaurant, which opened on Staten Island in 2007, still operates today. Available on Netflix. Here’s the trailer (check out the great cast).
Discussion moderated by Carole Sugarman.
Past Events:
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.
New Member Brunch
A special welcome for our 37 incoming members was held on Sunday, June 8 at a new DC eatery, a.kitchen+bar, owned by award-winning restaurateur Ellen Yin, a Philly Dame who just became a dual member of our chapter.
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.
Mel put it best: “Food is what has brought all of us to Les Dames,” she said. “Spending the morning together chopping, stirring, and scooping up pans of veggies all while catching up and getting to know each other better was a true distillation of what this organization is meant to achieve.”
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.
This year also marked the debut of the Goody Solomon Plenary, honoring one of our chapter’s founding members, and featuring a powerful discussion on how women are transforming media, sustainability, restaurants, and advocacy in the DMV’s food landscape.