We gravitate towards other folks with deep food roots and a passion for the harvest, the preparation and the delivery. Maybe it was the way our mom made us a from-scratch birthday cake, or the way an artisinal breadmaker uses touch and smell over sight and mind, or the way a server’s eyes light up when talking about a particular menu item.
Most of us have been working in the industry for more that half of our lives. Along the way we’ve come across some remarkable people doing some remarkable things. They make the world of hospitality and service a better place to be, and for that we are grateful.
Here are just a few that we think you should know about.
Food-focused entrepreneur Alexandrine De Bianchi is exactly the kind of client that you hope for when you’re working as a consultant: enthusiastic, organized, and ready to kick ass. Although she is a Confectionary of the highest order, DC Patisserie specializes in French Macarons. Crisp and toothsome meringue cookies give way to flavor-forward fillings in chocolate, pistachio, cassis, passionfruit, and other completely craveable taste sensations. Read more…
It’s an exciting time in the DC food business community. Folks are spending a lot less time talking about how restaurants don’t work, and alot more time talking about how restaurants do work.
In an effort to empower the community, as well as grow the market-share of independently-owned and operated businesses in DC, the Start-Up Kitchen was born. Produced by NURISH, the Center for a Creative Culinary Economy and sponsored by ThinkLocalFirst DC, the Start-Up Kitchen’s mission is to provide a start-up food entrepreneur an opportunity to partner with a local restaurant to temporarily operate their food concept in a restaurant setting without the risk and investment normally required. Read more…
To celebrate the Kick Off of Growing Healthy Schools Week, the EatWell DC Restaurant Group is running a restaurant fundraiser to benefit DC Greens (2012 ThinkLocalFirst DC Femivore Award Winner 2012) and the DC Farm to School Network on October 15th.
Through their GiveWell DC initiative, EatWell DC will donate 15% of all purchases made between 4 pm and 10 pm at any of their 5 restaurants: Commissary, Logan Tavern, The Pig, The Heights, and Grillfish. Read more…
Did you know that if you’re working in the restaurant industry in DC, there are free certification classes available to you through the The Restaurant Opportunities Center of DC (ROC-DC)? Are you aware that there is a place that you can go for advocacy and organizing for workers rights? Did you know that there are resources that you can use to bolster your career? There is an organization in your corner, fighting for the issues that matter to you most as a restaurant worker: low-minimum wage for tipped employees, paid sick days, access to childcare and health insurance, and rewarding work environment. Read more…
Eat Local First is a local food campaign that begins with a week-long celebration of local food in the Washington DC area. The focus will be on local farms, local restaurants and the organizations and people that are making locally-grown food more accessible in the DC community.
From July 15 to 21, 2012, you can dine at restaurants participating in Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week, participate in an array of local food events and celebrate local food with your neighbors at our Farm-to-Street Party. Through this campaign Think Local First DC aims to educate and inspire you to eat local food whenever possible.