Public Events
Upcoming Events:
Service and Sacrifice: Navigating Motherhood in the Hospitality Industry. Thursday, May 28, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Join us for a candid and inspiring virtual conversation that brings together a dynamic group of women shaping the food world while navigating motherhood. From restaurant kitchens to entrepreneurial ventures, these leaders will share the realities, challenges, and unexpected joys of balancing both worlds. Moderated by Avery Meetre of LRA PR, you’ll hear from the following DC Dames: Kerry Brodie, founder and executive director of Emma’s Torch; Britney Brown-Chamberlain, recipe developer and author of the blog Britney Breaks Bread; Leah Culley, founder & CEO of Sweet Almond, and Johanna Hellrigl, chef/owner of Ama.
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants the day before the event. Free, although we welcome $5 or $10 donations, which will go toward supporting our chapter’s grants, scholarships, and operations.
The Dames' Table: A Showcase of Talent & Taste. June 11, 6pm.
Tickets are now on sale for our chapter’s most significant biennial fundraiser, which is shaping up to be an unforgettable evening. The Dames' Table: A Showcase of Talent & Taste will offer a lively night of discovery as you sip, savor, and explore tasting stations featuring inspired food and wine pairings from our remarkable members.
Throughout the evening, you’ll also have the chance to browse and bid in our silent auction, filled with unique culinary experiences, special finds, and opportunities you won’t want to miss. Want to support our auction and get your name and business out there? Contribute an auction item here.
Every sip, bite, and bid at this event will go toward supporting our impactful grant program that awards funds to charitable or educational food and hospitality organizations making a difference in the community, and our scholarship program that empowers the next generation of women food professionals. And the venue couldn’t be more appropriate: The historic Whittemore House, which has long been a hub for women leaders.
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your ticket for a full refund if notification is received before 5PM on May 28. No-shows are ineligible for any refund.
Note: if you have to cancel, please remember you can turn your ticket purchase into a tax deductible donation to Les Dames DMV if cancellation is received at least 48 hours prior to the date of the event. Cancellations received less than 48 hours prior to the event will likely be used toward costs incurred and therefore would not be available as a donation.
Please Underestimate Me! Carla Hall’s World Premiere Show. June 26 & July 9 at 7:30pm
Award-winning chef, best-selling author, and beloved TV personality, Carla Hall, is at the top of her game. But getting there was no picnic. In this theatrical one-woman show, Carla Hall invites you to “strap in” for a wild, hilarious, and emotional ride as she reveals how she learned to embrace her own authenticity, “work her quirk” and finally step into her power. From her Tennessee roots as an awkward theater camp kid, to Howard University, to a stint on the runways of Paris, to her irreverent takes on the confusing expectations of Black excellence, crushing sexism, and the many attempts to erase her uniqueness, Carla has had to battle every step of the way to find her true voice -- and wait till you hear it. In this insightful and inspiring World Premiere, Carla reveals the secret ingredients to her greatest creation: herself. This intimate exchange will leave audiences laughing, thinking, feeling and… maybe even discovering a little of their own power in simply being themselves.
Tickets to this event through Les Dames DC Regional Chapter will be offered on two dates: Friday, June 26 at 7:30 pm and Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $72, a portion of which supports our mission to support women in food, beverage, and hospitality through scholarships, grants, mentorship and educational programming.
*** There will be a Meet & Greet with Carla following the June 26 performance. Tickets: $92; light refreshments included
Location: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Maryland 20832. Tel. 301-924-3400
Past Events:
The Media Menu: Serving Stories the Press Craves. March 26, 4:30PM
What makes a pitch email get opened? Why do some stories get covered while others never make it past the inbox? Organized by our chapter, this Zoom session is perfect for PR professionals looking to sharpen their pitching strategy and for chefs, restaurateurs, founders, and operators who handle their own media outreach. Moderated by our own Kristen Schott of Philadelphia magazine, you’ll hear from Tina Borgatta, Orange Coast magazine (LA/OC Dame), Pat Cobe, Restaurant Business (NY Dame), Anna Speigel, Axios (DC Dame) and Kae Lani Palmisano, Philadelphia magazine and WHYY's Check, Please!
Thursday, March 26: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The event is free, but we welcome $5 and $10 donations, which will go toward supporting our chapter’s grants, scholarships, and operations. Register here.
Truffle Hunting in Virginia: Monday, January 19 & Saturday, January 31
On a sunny, chilly day in mid-January, Dames and members of the public were hosted by Virginia Truffles in Rixeyville, Virginia, for a two-hour educational tour and hunt organized by the Green Tables Committee. Established in 2007, the family-run, multigenerational six-acre farm specializes in French Perigord truffles, historically a foraged crop. Because Perigord truffles are not native to Virginia, the fungus is introduced to the root system of the host trees, in this case English Oaks.
The group set out to locate and dig up truffles, led by members of the farm and the trained hunt dog, Pozzi. They learned about cultivation, production and the challenges and successes of truffle farming, plus toured the lab, where the truffles are cleaned and graded. And last but not least, attendees enjoyed a tasting of truffles in an array of appetizers and a soup made by onsite Chef Adam Shea.
Green Kitchen Swap: Sunday, February 22nd
On Sunday, February 22, the Green Tables Committee hosted its second kitchen swap at Poplar, in partnership with Teaism, Slow Food DC, and DC EcoWomen, and it was just as wonderful as the first! At the near-sold out gathering, attendees brought their unwanted kitchen supplies to give away and swap with others–to reduce waste and overconsumption, build community, and support neighbors in need. About a dozen boxes of goods left at the end of the event were donated to the Immigrant and Refugee Outreach Center (IROC) and a local DC mutual aid group. Guests expressed excitement and gratitude to come together, and many requested that we keep the swap going on a regular basis.
Culinary Diplomacy: Food as a Tool for Connection - February 25
We know that food and hospitality bring people together, creating shared experiences that strengthen relationships, but what exactly is culinary diplomacy? How can it help bridge differences between countries, cultures and even in our own communities?
Join our Zoom conversation with leaders in culinary diplomacy about their work, answers to these questions, and more. Featured: Dame Lauren Bernstein, founder and CEO of the Culinary Diplomacy Project; Dame Micheline Mendelsohn, CEO of the Sunnyside Restaurant Group; and chef-restaurateur Art Smith.
Sip With Intention: A Dry January Experience. Wednesday, January 21
On January 21, Dames and members of the public gathered for an evening of conversation, light bites, and zero-proof drinks at the National Press Club. Lauren Dickerson, Lyre’s East Coast regional manager, led the intimate group in crafting a zero-proof Espresso Martini using the brand’s products along with cold brew provided by Jodi Lehr’s Santa Lucia Coffee.
Guests had a chance to sample other Lyre’s products — the non-alcoholic Italian Spritz was a hit — and enjoyed an engaging conversation between Dickerson and Bonnie Eberly of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). A lively Q&A session followed. Les Dames could not have pulled off this event without the help of our partners: the National Press Club, Lyre’s, Santa Lucia Coffee, and WSET.