8 Mouth-Watering Dining Collabs for the Women’s History Month Festival
Women's History Month Food Festival has inspired two dozen menu collaborations at participating establishments, some available all month.
The month of March is as good as any, and maybe better than most, to make it your mission to visit all of the area’s woman- and nonbinary-owned restaurants, bars, and sweet shops, checking them off a list as you go. Such a noble pursuit may be more current events — or herstory — than history, but it still works to honor what has become known as Women’s History Month.
Perfectly in tune with such a cause is the second annual Women’s History Month Festival organized by RE:Her DC, the local chapter of a national organization of woman- and nonbinary-owned food and drink purveyors established in 2021.
The festival has inspired roughly two dozen menu collaborations, special events, and special offerings at participating establishments, some available all month long, others on specific days or dates, and the rest throughout the festival, which officially runs Monday, March 13, through Sunday, March 19.
A portion of sales from the festival-related offerings will benefit RE:Her DC and its various efforts to empower and advance hospitality industry businesswomen.
The following specials are this year’s Top 8, at least in terms of holding the most appeal to our palates. All are available during festival week unless otherwise specified.
Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique, the nearly year-old “wine bar, bottle shop, bistro, boutique” in Crystal City/National Landing, offers “Cuveé Red Wine Chocolate Chip Cookie,” a bake shop original infused with wine from a woman-owned vintner (576 23rd St. S., Arlington, www.beautychampagneandsugar.com).
Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town + Thompson Italian, “2nd Floor Sessions” collaborative promotions every Sunday in March at Hank’s Old Town location, culminating with a bravura flourish of an epic “5-Course Italian Family-Style Dinner” created by Executive Chef Lucy Dakwar, Chef de Cuisine Sarah Ewald, and Chef/Owner Katherine Thompson of Thompson Italian in Falls Church, in partnership with Hanks Chef/Owner Jamie Leeds.
$95 per person plus tax, with beverage pairings and a la carte options also available (Available only on March 26. 818 N. St. Asaph St., Alexandria, www.hanksoysterbar.com).
Ice Cream Jubilee, seasonal ice cream flavors “powered by Girl Scout Cookies,” including Tagalongs-inspired Peanut Butter Fudge & Cookies, peanut butter ice cream with fudge swirl and shortbread chunks, Samoa-inspired Coconut Caramel Chip, coconut ice cream with chocolate bits and a caramel swirl, and Thin Mint-inspired Mint Chocolate Cookie, light minty ice cream with crushed chocolate cookies, available at all three locations (Through March 24, www.icecreamjubilee.com).
Pizzeria Paradiso + The Whole Ox, “Beef Bourguignon Special” pizza with red wine braised beef tomato sauce, garlic, roasted onions, portobello mushrooms, bacon, asiago cheese, grana padano cheese, and topped with chopped parsley, inspired by Madeleine Kamman, mentor of Chef/Owner Ruth Gresser, and featuring local beef and bacon from Virginia’s The Whole Ox Butcher Amanda Luhowiak, available at all four locations (www.eatyourpizza.com).
Preservation Biscuit Company + Ice Cream Jubilee, “Bananarama Ice Cream Biscuit Sandwich” special featuring Preservation buttermilk biscuits filled with Jubilee’s Banana Bourbon Caramel Ice Cream, topped with strawberry jam, cinnamon, and a rum banana sauce, available at Preservation (102 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church, Va., www.preservationbiscuit.com).
Ris by Ris Lacoste, “My Mother’s Meatloaf” special from Chef/Owner Ris Lacoste in celebration of “all mothers making women’s history” (2275 L St. NW, www.risdc.com).
Shilling Canning Co., “The Four Queens Cocktail Raffle,” four custom cocktails each served with a playing card, collect all four to enter a raffle for the chance to win a Chef’s Counter 7-Course experience for two.
The drinks, each paying subtle or even curious homage to various women throughout history, are The Cat’s Meow, a blend of gin, cranberry honey, lime, and dry vermouth, and topped with egg white; The Gambit, a potent, nearly mixer-free four-spirit blend (rye, mezcal, sweet vermouth, and dry curaçao) loosely inspired by a Manhattan; The All Nighter, an espresso cocktail with chocolate; and The Infante, a tequila cocktail that adds nutmeg and replaces triple sec with orgeat syrup and orange blossom water for an elevated twist on a margarita (Until the end of the month. 360 Water St. SE, www.shillingcanning.com).
Teaism + Dolcezza, “Yuzu Hungarian Teacake,” a reboot of Teaism’s popular Hungarian Teacake inspired by Chef Arpad’s Hungarian mother, served with a new yuzu marmalade filling and Dolcezza’s Mascarpone & Berry Gelato, available at all four Teaism locations (www.teaism.com).
Visit www.regardingherfood.com/7daysdc-2023 for a full lineup of participants.
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