industree’s popular series, Launchology, returns on April 13th from 11AM to 4:30PM at Penn Social, located at 801 E Street NW, Washington, DC, 20004. Moderated by heavy hitters such as Jeff Black of Black Restaurant Group, Bonnie Benwick of The Washington Post and Mark Haidet of Orderly, this multi-panel event will feature candid conversations, real stories and unfiltered advice needed to be successful in the food & beverage industry.
Hear from the #bestinthebiz on restaurant operations, the business behind the food, construction and design, top trends in technology and the looming topic on everyone’s mind… Media. For the first time this year, learn how to handle bad reviews, cultivate healthy press relations and use social media to your restaurant’s advantage.
Panelists include Shannon Jones (Idea Sandbox), Brian Miller (Edit Lab by Streetsense), Jag Bansal (Improvonia), Nick Mautone (CohnReznick), Tom Dailey (Potomac Construction Services), Kosta Dionisopoulos (Delta Produce), Ayeshah Abuelhiga (Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.), Kim Roth (Studley-Savills), John Valentine (Swipely), Sara Hill Isacson (Bullfrog Bagels), Dave Hansen (Hansen-Daye, LLC), Riley Lagesen (Davis, Wright, Tremaine, LLP), Johnna Rowe (Johnna Knows Good Food), Jill Collins (Jill Collins PR), Kimberly-Mae Van (Yelp), Ian Gleason (NCR/Aloha), Noelle McEntee (Square) and more.
Half day and full day tickets range from $30-75 and current students are invited to purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $15-25. A limited number of tickets will be sold at the door. For full day attendees, registration begins at 11AM with La Colombe coffee and Bullfrog Bagels, and boxed meals packed with the District’s tastiest local eats will be provided at lunchtime. For half day attendees, registration begins at 1:30PM. Cocktails and mocktails will be flowing throughout the event. Check out the full schedule and purchase tickets here: http://
On Thursday, April 16th, Poste Moderne Brasserie will host some of DC’s top pastry toques for a battle benefitting Brainfood, DC’s leading non-profit youth development organization. Participating pastry chefs include: Casto Unson from Poste Moderne Brasserie; Caitlin Dysart of 2941 Restaurant; Meredith Tomason of Rare Sweets; Deborah Brown of Trummer’s On Main; and Carri-Anne Hamer of Pearl Dive Oyster Bar.
These top pastry talents will face off using one core connecting ingredient and judges, including Paul Dahm Executive Director of Brainfood, will vote for their favorite usage of the designated ingredient—roots, from culinary roots to community roots to literal roots. Attendees will be able to sample all desserts from the participating pastry chefs and vote for the dish they deem best for the crowd favorite category. Attendees can enjoy complimentary sparkling wine and bites from Poste Moderne Brasserie Executive Chef Kyoo Eom.
Where: The patio at Poste Moderne Brasserie 555 8th Street, NW DC
When: Thursday, April 16th 6 to 8 p.m.
Tickets: Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sugar-showdown-benefiting-brainfood-tickets-16160797380. Net proceeds to be donated to Brainfood.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2015
Time: 12:00-3:00 p.m.
Location: Ris DC
Tickets: On sale now http://bit.ly/Snail2015 Early Bird Tickets $40 end on March 22, 2015. Cost is $45. Ticket price includes a reception with food and a seasonal cocktail drink.
Join in to honor and celebrate the 2015 Snail of Approval winners! We have an exciting line up of chefs, farmers, brewers, distillers, vintners, and artisans to add to the growing roster. This unique event is an opportunity to mix and mingle with the individuals dedicated to shaping our food community. This year’s event will be held at RIS in DC, featuring a menu designed by Chef Ris using locally sourced ingredients, and a featured, specialty seasonal cocktail. There will also be a silent auction with fabulous gifts from local shops, artisans, and restaurants, some of which include items from Le Creuset, FreshFarm Markets, and the Port City Brewing Company.
Please visit us at:
http://www.slowfooddc.org/
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack will host “Boil on the Bayou,” a daylong, all-inclusive crawfish boil house party on Sunday, April 19, 2015. This will be the only crawfish boil hosted for the season. Two tiers of ticketing, one which will be inclusive of food ($55), and one which will include both food and drinks ($90), will allow guests to enjoy an afternoon of Louisiana crawfish boiled with corn and potatoes and traditional Cajun seasoning, prepared by Chef Colleen Conrad. A whole-roasted, sustainably raised suckling pig roasted on Pearl Dive’s patio in a “La Caja China”, with grilled oysters being fired on top, will also be available. In addition, crawfish hushpuppies, creamy cole slaw, pulled pork sandwiches on the restaurant’s famous Addie’s rolls, pork riblets, and a selection of Southern inspired desserts from pastry chef Carri-Anne Hamer will be on the menu.
Those with a drink inclusive ticket will enjoy unlimited beer from Louisiana’s Abita Brewing Company, as well as ‘Hurricane punch’ made by bar manager E. Jay Apaga. Select white and red wine will be available for the duration of the five-hour event.
A live zydeco band will provide a festive atmosphere throughout the afternoon, and food stations will be set up throughout Pearl Dive and Black Jack, with additional drinks available a la carte at the bar.
WHEN: Sunday, April 19, 2015 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pearl Dive and Black Jack will be closed to non-ticket holders during this time. Food-inclusive tickets can be purchased for $55 per person, and food and drink inclusive tickets can be purchased herefor $90. Ticket price does not include tax and gratuity. **Group tickets available for a 10% discount if purchasing eight or more.
WHERE: Pearl Dive Oyster Palace is located at 1612 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. It is Metro accessible from the Red and Yellow and Green lines, located five blocks from the U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Station, and six blocks East from the Q Street exit of the Dupont Circle Metro Station. For additional information about Pearl Dive call 202-319-1612, or visit www.PearlDiveDC.com.
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
The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award®, presents its Annual Dinner and Mock Trial at Sidney Harman Hall(610 F Street NW) on Monday, May 11, 2015. This marks the 20th year that Shakespeare Theatre Company has put on the Mock Trial. The evening begins with dinner at 5:30 p.m. in the Forum, followed by the Trial at 7:30 p.m. in the theatre. A special session of the Supreme Court of La Mancha will review the decisions of the Family Court to declare Don Quixote mentally incompetent and his subsequent placement under the guardianship of his niece, Antonia.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will preside and will be accompanied by Justice Stephen Breyer, as well as Chief Judge Merrick Garland and Judge Patricia Millett, both of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Tom Goldstein of Goldstein & Russell P.C. andCarter Phillips of Sidley Austin LLP will argue the case. The Trial will be moderated byAbbe D. Lowell of Chadbourne & Parke LLP, chair of the STC Bard Association and STC Board of Trustees member.
Michael Kahn, Artistic Director of Shakespeare Theatre Company says of Mock Trial, “As I’ve often said, Shakespeare doesn’t tell us what to think, he tells us what to think about. This is what Mock Trial does so stunningly, it uses these classic stories as lenses to look at seemingly old issues and bring them to our modern, and legal, world.”
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Mock Trial is sponsored by the Bard Association, STC’s affinity group for Washington’s legal community.
Since 1994, the Shakespeare Theatre Company has hosted a Mock Trial based on a play from STC’s mainstage season. The fictional court case poses a legal question, or questions, and the audience must act as the jury to decide the fate of the characters. The Trial aims to examine the links between classic works and contemporary legal theory in a way that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. Past Mock Trials have explored whether Malvolio (Twelfth Night) was entitled to damages for wrongful imprisonment; Iago (Othello) was guilty of the murders of Desdemona and Othello; Hamlet (Hamlet) was insane when he murdered Polonius; and if Sir John Falstaff (Henry IV) should have been compensated for his services to Prince Hal and reinstated as a member of the royal court. Last year’s Mock Trial concentrated on the characters in William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and argued whether the Duke of Vienna should be held responsible for abuses of power perpetuated by his appointed representative, and debated issues of illegal secret surveillance, false imprisonment, negligent appointment of an unfit deputy, and disrespect of commitment to religious vows.
This season’s Mock Trial focuses on the characters in Dale Wasserman’s Man of La Mancha and asks the question: Did the Family Court commit reversible errors of law and fact in determining that Don Quixote was mentally incompetent, and should the Family Court have appointed Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s loyal friend, as his guardian, rather than his niece Antonia?
SCENARIO
As word spread of Alonso Quixana’s (self-named and known to the world as Don Quixote) exhibited signs of mental illness or incompetence, his niece Antonia petitioned the Family Court to appoint her to be his guardian to protect his financial interests and to make medical decisions for him. In support of her petition, Antonia described Don Quixote’s hallucinations, his instigation of ill-conceived and ill-fated battles, his unwitting contribution to the brutal treatment of Aldonza, and his persistent inability to separate reality from illusion. Antonia stated that Don Quixote was unable to manage his assets, pay his medical expenses, or make financial decisions in his own best interests, and that he had been the victim of financial exploitation without even realizing others were taking advantage of him. Antonia’s fiancé, Dr. Carrasco, provided a petition of incompetency claiming to be Don Quixote’s treating physician and asserting that Don Quixote’s mental disability was permanent and that he had no ability to understand the nature of the proceedings or reasons for appointment of a guardian.
The Family Court heard extensive testimony about Don Quixote’s ill-fated escapades during his career as a knight errant, about his discussion of his “dreams,” his tendency to burst into song, and his claims of being a knight. His friends testified about Don Quixote’s idealism, courtesy, generosity, gallantry, and nobility. Sancho Panza said Don Quixote knew he was not really a knight, but simply liked to conceive of a nobler world inspired by courtesy and bravery. Don Quixote’s attorney argued that he did not need a guardian, but that if the Court disagreed, it should appoint Sancho Panza, not Antonia.
The Family Court appointed Antonia as Don Quixote’s guardian. On petition for review by the Supreme Court of La Mancha, Don Quixote has asked the Court to decide two questions:
1. Did the Family Court commit reversible errors of law and fact in determining that Don Quixote was mentally incompetent within the meaning of the laws governing appointment of guardians of property and persons?
2. Assuming Don Quixote was not fully competent to manage his affairs or make decisions about his medical treatment, should the Family Court have rejected Antonia’s petition as motivated by fraud and self-interest, and instead have appointed Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s loyal friend, as his guardian?
TICKET INFORMATION
Interested in Premium Seating and Dining with the Participants before the Trial?Tickets to the Dinner and Trial ($350) are available now. To purchase tickets please call 202.547.3230 ext. 2330 or contact MockTrial@ShakespeareTheatre.
Trial-only Ticket Prices
A Price: $75
B Price: $50 (limited availability)
Student: $20 (valid student ID required when picking up tickets)
Tickets on sale for STC donors and season subscribers on March 18 at noon.
Tickets for the general public on sale March 23 at noon.
For more information please contact MockTrial@ShakespeareTheatre.
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.
