the feast - Les Dames d'Escoffier - Vol. 2. Iss. 2

member milestones

By Dame Dottie Koteski (Philadelphia)

ATLANTA

Gena Berry was recognized as a 2025 Charleston Wine + Food Community Impact Award recipient. This annual program is dedicated to celebrating the unsung heroes who lend their voice, support, influence, and passion to make forward-leaning and lasting impacts on the Lowcountry’s diverse culinary + hospitality community, while paying it forward to raise up future generations.

Carolyn Fludd of Revival Wine Bar hosted an unforgettable evening of wine and food on January 23, led by Georgia’s only Master Sommelier, Michael McNeill, MS.

Natalie Keng hosted a memorable Lunar New Year cultural experience that celebrates the power of food to build bridges, foster community, and creating lasting change.

Carolyn O'Neil, registered dietitian nutritionist and journalist, launched the podcast Watch What You Eat with Carolyn O'Neil with The Spoon Podcast Network. This series showcases expert guests on food, nutrition, and cuisine covering topics from pâté to pesticides! The first two episodes feature Dames Janet Helm of Chicago and Liz Weiss of Boston.

Virginia Willis and Cynthia Graubart were invited to speak at The M.F.K. Fisher Symposium for Women in Food & Storytelling and present Video Skills for Culinarians, an interactive onehour hands-on training covering the basics of smartphone video production for cookbook authors, chefs, food bloggers, and other culinary professionals who need to expand their social media presence.

Sarah Young of Wild Heaven Beer joined Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta's Burgers with Buck on January 24 for a delicious feature! Wild Heaven Beer teamed up with the legendary Fox Bros Bar-B-Q to create an irresistible burger and beer pairing.

AUSTIN

Kendall Antonelli celebrated 15 years of Antonelli's Cheese Shop in Austin. Together with her husband John Antonelli, they featured a series of cheese-y events leading up to the anniversary, which was held at a new location on South Lamar. The events included #freecheese week and special cheese-tastings.

Abby Love celebrated four years of Abby Jane Bakeshop, a beloved bakery located in Dripping Springs, Texas. The bakery partners with neighbor Barton Springs Mill to create unique, hyper-local baked goods, breads, and lunch fare. Abby expressed optimism for the future of her bakery at the fourth anniversary celebration on January 19.

Jessica Maher celebrated 13 years of her restaurant, Lenoir, in Austin, Texas. Lenoir prides itself for its modern farm-to-table cuisine and the immense support to many Texas farmers for over a decade.

Cinthya Romriell was featured in a USA Today article highlighting her accomplishments as a chocolatier in Austin. Cinful Sweets specializes in a vast array of artistic chocolate confections.

Birmingham

Jenn Nix is proud to share that Fork & Leaf Travel celebrated its five-year anniversary. Her luxury travel company designs custom itineraries for clients. Jenn also announced an expansion into wellness vacations, a natural fit with the culinary and nature niche.

Robin Cohen has added the title college instructor to her accomplishments. She is teaching a course on Food Marketing at Boston University. One of her objectives is to expose students to guest speakers who are all Boston Dames representing different sectors of the hospitality industry.

Theresa Marnard just announced that her nut-free bakery, Sweet Teez, will open its first brick-and-mortar location in her hometown of Dorchester, Massachusetts, in the fall of 2025.

Elle Simone Scott's book, Food Gifts! received a Readable Feast Award for Excellence in Single Subject Writing from the Annual New England Culinary Book Awards. The book, her second publication, is packed with ideas for food gifts for the holidays or anytime, and it features stunning photos and easy-to-follow instructions and recipes.

CLEVELAND

Tina Chamoun, the founder of Terranean Spices, brings Lebanese flavors to consumers. Her award-winning pita chips and seasonings are now available in HomeGoods and TJ Maxx stores nationwide which allows her to share her culinary heritage through authentic recipes. Cleveland Magazine recently named Tina one of the Most Interesting People of 2025.

DALLAS

Nancy Farrar was selected as the Best Photographer of 2024 by Fort Worth Weekly. The magazine's critics honored Nancy for her “luscious pictures of food, beverages, and chefs" as well as portraits of influential people. "Farrar has a deft touch with people, color, and light," the critics said.

KENTUCKY

Jamie Estes was recognized by the Icons of Whisky USA 2025 for the contributions of her company, Estes Public Relations, in the spirits space. It was selected as Public Relation Agency of the Year and PR Team of the Year at the annual awards event February 13 at The Brown Hotel in Louisville.

NEW ORLEANS

Melissa Araujo opened a second location of Alma Cafe in New Orleans’ MidCity neighborhood in February. “My mission has always been to share the soul of Honduran cooking, and the Mid-City opening is an opportunity to connect with even more people and introduce them to the flavors and traditions I love.”

Camille Collins’ 22 years in New Orleans hospitality and specialty food marketing led to the launch of Collins Global Communications, a new consulting business specializing in hospitality and specialty foods. Camille worked with iconic brands Commander’s Family of Restaurants, Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group, Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, and Les Trois Petites Cochons.

After starting her wildly successful pop-up Lagniappe Bakehouse during the pandemic, Kaitlin Guerin opened her brickand-mortar bakery in 2024. Lagniappe Bakehouse was recently named one of the 22 Best Bakeries in the U.S. by The New York Times.

NEW YORK

Lynn Fredericks, Founder of FamilyCook Productions, is the lead author on two new, peer-reviewed articles. The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior published her article which demonstrated the efficacy of her Nibble and Willow program. Her article on “Integrating Food is Medicine” into clinical settings was published in Journal of General Internal Medicine.

NORTH CAROLINA

Jess MacLaren moved to Asheville and successfully launched her private chef and catering business, Belle Saveur AVL. In the last eight months she has booked new private clients, established a tasting booth at a food festival, and created a rotating West Asheville supper club.

PHILADELPHIA

Nana Araba Wilmot appeared in a Chopped episode titled Zhoug-topia on October 29 and at a Philadelphia Museum of Art dinner on February 7, which was inspired by the exhibit “The Time Is Always Now.” Through her unique focus on foodways across the African Diaspora, Chef Nana incorporates nostalgic food memories to celebrate her Ghanaian heritage.

SAN FRANCISCO

Dava Guthmiller's company Noise 13, a food-forward women-owned creative agency, reached its 25th anniversary in January.

TUSCAN ITALIAN

Patrizia Vigolo was appointed coordinator for the National Wine Guide Vinibuoni d'Italia 2026, edited by Touring Club. She is responsible for the following areas: OltrepÒ Pavese (Lombardy); the Durello Lessini area (Veneto); and a part of the Piedmont. Vinibuoni d'Italia guide is among Italy's top three recognized wine guides.

WASHINGTON, D.C. REGIONAL

Amy Brandwein was named a 2025 semifinalist in the Outstanding Chef category in the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards. Amy is the chef/ owner of Centrolina and Piccolina de Centrolina in Washington, D.C.

Laura Calderone, founder of Relish Catering in North Bethesda, made BizBash’s list of Industry Innovators 2025: 10 F&B Professionals Who Are Rewriting the Rules of Event Catering.

Leni Sorensen, a food historian, teacher, and farmer, was interviewed for a segment in Finding Edna Lewis, a new PBS documentary about the widely admired chef who was honored as LDEI’s Grande Dame in 1999.