On Thursday, April 23rd, diners across the Washington metro region will stand up against HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses by sitting down at restaurants participating in this year’s Dining Out for Life® fundraiser (www.foodandfriends.org/dol).
Now in its 19th year in Washington, DC, Food & Friends enlists the benevolence of area eateries – from Hyattsville to Shirlington, from Dupont Circle to Georgetown – in support of children and adults facing life-challenging illnesses who benefit from the organization’s nutrition services. More than 90 area restaurants have pledged to contribute 25% to 100% of that day’s proceeds to directly benefit Food & Friends’ programs and clients in the National Capital Region.
“Diners can easily make a huge impact on the lives of so many in need in our community simply by going out to dinner on April 23rd,” says Food & Friends’ Executive Director Craig Shniderman. “Funds raised by big events during the year like Dining Out for Life® make it possible for us to serve thousands of meals each day to those living with the challenges of HIV/AIDS, cancer and other debilitating illnesses.”
Founded in 1988, Food & Friends is the only organization providing specialized meals, nutrition counseling and friendship to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illness within a 5,346 square mile service area. The nonprofit’s staff of professional chefs and registered dietitians designs meals that meet the special dietary needs of persons living with a broad range of illnesses. Since its inception, Food & Friends has provided more than 18 million meals to more 26,000 individuals, and has helped family members, friends, and loved ones provide care and support. Food & Friends fulfills its mission through a partnership with 10,000 volunteers and a dedicated staff of 52. Their confidential services are free of charge to individuals and families living throughout Washington, DC, and 14 counties of Maryland and Virginia.
Last year, Dining Out for Life®, raised more than $200,000. In 2015, Food & Friends is thrilled to have more than 90 restaurants on board, including those that are donating their entire evening’s proceeds to Food & Friends – Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant (100%), Annie’s Paramount Steak House (100%) and Ristorante Tosca (100%).
Please visitwww.foodandfriends.org/dol for a complete listing of participating restaurants.
DC wine institution Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar will transform into a wine-centric movie theater showing the critically acclaimed documentary Somm on Monday, May 4 at 6pm.Accompanied by a panel of DC wine experts, DC’s original wine bar will invite guests to its cozy Sonoma Avenue Lounge for a full movie theater experience, with a wine flight tasting and an unlimited popcorn bar featuring fun house made varieties, like Classic Butter, Ranch, Dill Pickle-Spiced and Truffle, for $30 a person.
As Somm follows four sommelier hopefuls on their journey to compete against the best in the business and pass the test to become Masters, Sonoma will be hosting its own local wine tasting competition. Sonoma Beverage Director and sommelier Woong Chang will be joined by sommeliers Elli Benchimol ofRange and Andrew Stover of Oya and Sei to conduct a guided wine tasting with guests-and then compete against one another in a blind wine tasting, just as is done in the film.
In addition to the fun popcorn bar, guests can also select from Chef de Cuisine James Marroquin’s a la carte menu house made movie snacks, like Popcorn-Marshmallow clusters, Old Bay-Spiced Candied Nuts, Soft Pretzel Twists with mustard or bacon peanut butter, and Crispy Chickpeaswith coriander & cumin.
Space is limited and tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite For more information, please visit www.sonomadc.com or call 202.544.8088.
Who: Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar
Sonoma Chef de Cuisine James Marroquin
Sonoma Beverage Director Woong Chang
Range Sommelier Elli Benchimol
Oya and Sei Sommelier Andrew Stover
Gourmet Symphony Presents The Saloon Concert Series: Woodworking 101
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 | 6-8 pm
Beuchert’s Saloon (623 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003)
Join Gourmet Symphony al fresco at Beuchert’s Saloon‘s garden patio to explore the mastercraft of woodworking and its influence on music, whiskey production, and open-flame culinary arts. Hear how woods from specific forests can shape the tonalities of instruments – from the bass to the marimba; learn from Jeff Wells, veteran of DC’s craft beverage scene, how American whiskey producer Michter’s chooses its barrels when aging its bourbons; and taste the best fare of the season grilled up by Chef Andrew Markert.
Your ticket includes tastings of 3 exclusive spirits paired with 4-5 custom small plates and live chamber music performances.Tickets are $35 per person and available for purchase via Eventbrite: bit.ly/1EQdF0A.
industree’s popular event, Hail to the V, returns on June 16th from 5:00pm – 8:30PM at The Wonder Bread Factory, located below street level at 641 S Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001. Hail to the V will celebrate a handful of D.C.’s most fearless, accomplished and unstoppable females in the food & beverage industry. The evening will feature networking with snacks provided by Caviar DC, followed by candid panel discussions focused on what it takes to be a successful woman in a male-dominated industry. The winner of industree’s annual V Award will also be announced live at the event, honoring the one woman who has stood out this past year by thinking outside the box and innovating/inspired her peers, both male and female!
This evening will be hosted by “Femme-cee” Eun Yang of NBC4, and panelists include:
Hilda Staples, Bryan Voltaggio Restaurants
Aggie Chin, Capella Washington, DC Georgetown
Allison Cooke, CORE DC
Meshelle Armstrong, EatGoodFood Group
Caroline Blundell, Ripple
Christine Kim, TICO
Joey Hernandez, Tim Ma Restaurant Group
Sarah Tune, Davis Wright Trimane
Ris Lacoste, RIS
The evening will also showcase additional bites provided by female food-entrepreneurs such as Whisked!, Soupergirl, Ice Cream Jubilee and a brand new Pinot Grigio created by Drew Barrymore for the Jackson Family Fine Wines.
Tickets are available at http://theindustreegroup.
industree is an event-based brand and the candid voice of the food & beverage industry. They cultivate a community of seasoned industry innovators, future trailblazers and everyone in between to provide the connections, tools and real-life advice that make opportunities possible. Their unfiltered events and content provide a platform to share, learn and grow both personally and professionally. @DCindustree @PHLindustree @MIAindustree @ATLindustree
The 2nd annual Launch Pad, a culinary business competition created by Union Market, Mess Hall and RIS
Guests at the finale will be treated to cocktails and small bites as finalists Arepa Zone, Bao Bros Bar, Half Smoke, Whisked, and Bene pitch their original concepts. The winner will be announced by a panel of judges, including restaurant mavens Patrick O’Connell, Aaron Silverman, Drew Nieporent, Dav
An after-party will feature chefs’ tables with previous Launch Pad contestants, judges, and advisors. Guests will mingle with food and drink mavens such as DC Brau‘s Jeff Hancock, Mari Rodela, and Brendan Skall, Cake Love owner Warren Brown, and Capital Kombucha owner John Lee, among others. Locally produced snacks and beverages will be provided, and hometown bartenders will mix specialty cocktails featuring Jefferson’s Ridiculously Small Batch Bourbon, Gosling’s Rums, and Pallini Limoncello.
Who: Union Market, Mess Hall, RIS owner Ris Lacoste
What: Launch Pad Grand Finale
Where: Dock 5, Union Market (1309 5th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002)
When: Sunday, July 12, 1pm-5pm
Tickets: $25 | Tickets can be purchased here.
WHAT: A special dinner with wine and a discussion of her new book, In a French Kitchen with author Susan Herrmann Loomis, hosted by Chefs Christophe & Michelle Poteaux. The book is a collection of tales from the kitchens of home cooks throughout France capturing the delightful celebration of French life and the cooks who turn even the simplest meals into an occasion. On the eve of Bastille Day, the Chefs Poteaux will serve:
Amuse et Kir
Melon et jambon sale – Virginia made prosciutto, compressed cantaloupe, micro basil, Banyuls vinegar reduction
Poulet roti au romarin et aux citrons confits – Roasted Amish chicken infused with preserved lemon and rosemary, fingerling potatoes, haricots verts, cipoline, piquillo peppers
Salade verte, chèvre chaud – Fresh goat cheese tartine with organic green salad, Dijon and shallot vinaigrette
Tarte aux citrons, fruits rouges, crème Chantilly – Lemon tart, fresh local berries, Chantilly cream
WHEN: Monday, July 13
6:30pm Reception, Meet & Greet
7pm Dinner
WHERE: Bastille
606 N Fayette St
Alexandria, VA 22314
RSVP: Tickets are $69.00 per person, inclusive of dinner and wine, exclusive of tax or gratuity. Books will be available for purchase for $26.95. Please call (703) 519-3776 or email reservations@bastillerestaurant.com to reserve seats for this special event.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Herrmann Loomis is a France-based, award-winning journalist, author and cooking school proprietor with nine books to her credit, and a professionally trained chef. Among her books are On Rue Tatin, a narrative about her life in France, with recipes which won the IACP best literary food book for 2002, Loomis contributes to many publications including Cooking Light,Metropolitan Home, France Today, and Gastronomica. She has lived in France for nearly twenty years, operates On Rue Tatin, a cultural and culinary cooking program, from her 15th century home in Louviers, France, where she lives with her two children.
Union Market, the vibrant district in Northeast DC, will host its fifth annual DC Scoop event on Saturday, July 18 from 1pm-4pm. The highly-anticipated, free event, which drew over 3,000 Washingtonians last year, will take place at Dock 5, the indoor space above the market. Ice cream vendors from over 15 different creameries will put their best foot forward to win the crown title of “Best Ice Cream,” offering guests a wide array of free samples and servings for purchase, from gelato to ice cream sandwiches, popsicles to soda shoppe-style scoops.
Sweet tooths at the family-friendly event can participate in ice cream-eating contests, raffles, and giveaways. Timber Pizza Co. will provide savory complements to patrons’ favorite desserts, and Union Market vendors Buffalo & Bergen and Trickling Springs will join the fun to serve Root Beer Floats to kids.
Last year’s DC Scoop winner, Nicecream Factory, pairs liquid nitrogen with fresh local ingredients to create flavors for customers on the spot—a business model developed by owners Gilbert Welsford and Sandra Tran. “We were so excited to be recognized,” Welsford exclaimed. “There were so many incredible competitors participating in last year’s DC Scoop event. We’re passionate about what we do and we were glad to provide the DC and Northern Virginia areas with what we think is the best ice cream out there,” he said.
Participants for this year’s DC Scoop include:
• Milk Cult
• Little Baby’s Ice Cream
• Gifford’s
• King of Pop’s
• Carmens
• NiceCream
• Ice Cream Jubilee
• DC Puddin’
• Faithfully Sweet
• Dangerously Delicious Pies
• Suga Mama Sweets
EVENT DETAILS:
Saturday, July 18, 2015
1 – 4 p.m.
Dock 5 @ Union Market
1309 5th Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
