America is turning 250 and where do we celebrate? Around the table, duh?! If there is one thing that tells the story of this country, it is food. The recipes our ancestors brought with them. The ingredients discovered. The traditions borrowed. Every bite tells a story.This month, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington is launching EAT250: America at the Table, a culinary celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Running June 14-28, EAT250 brings together more than 200 participating restaurants across the region to showcase the cultures, traditions, and stories that have shaped the American table. EAT250 highlights the role restaurants play in bringing people together and reflecting the diversity that defines both our region and our nation.What is American food?The answer, of course, is all of it. Over these  two weeks, some of the country's most celebrated chefs (including Marcus Samuelsson, Bryan Voltaggio, Pierre Thiam, Erik Bruner-Yang, Tom Cunanan, Katsuya Fukushima, and many more) will come together for collaborations, and experiences. Truly voices that continue to shape the American table.Here are just a few events we're particularly excited about, So Mark Your Calendar (and book your Rez!) June 18 - Bimi Vita at MasseriaChef Nicholas Stefanelli welcomes Katsuya Fukushima for a six-course dinner inspired by the intersection of Italian and Japanese cuisine. Friendship, seasonality, and the beauty of two culinary traditions coming together are at the heart of this one-night experience.June 19 - From Catalonia to the Chesapeake at Casa TeresaChef Rubén García joins Bryan Voltaggio for an evening exploring the connections between Spain and the Mid-Atlantic. Expect regional flavors, local ingredients, and plenty of stories from both sides of the Atlantic.June 21 - Around the World at the American Table at Manifest 002James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame inductee Pierre Thiam joins globetrotter Jessica Nabongo and Hell's Kitchen winner Rock Harper for a conversation, and celebration, of how travel, culture, and migration continue to influence what Americans eat today.June 23 - Diaspora of Flavor at Marcus DCMarcus Samuelsson and Executive Chef Anthony Jones explore the influence of the African diaspora on American cuisine through the lens of ingredients, memory, and tradition.June 25 - The New American Table at MakettoThree-time James Beard Award nominee Erik Bruner-Yang teams up with James Beard Award winner Tom Cunanan for a collaboration celebrating Taiwanese, Filipino, and Asian-American influences on the American culinary story.June 25 - Ode to Escoffier at L'Avant-GardeChef Sébastien Giannini and Chef Andrew Ho of CUT by Wolfgang Puck pay tribute to the French culinary traditions that helped shape generations of American chefs. Special guest: Her Excellency the Ambassador of Monaco.June 25 - Tastes of Union Market DistrictUnion Market District and La Cosecha invite guests to snack, sip, and stroll through one of the city's most exciting culinary neighborhoods with bites and beverages highlighting the creativity and culture that define the district.June 25 - Global Pizza Party at StellinaChef Matteo Venini joins Chef Elias Taddesse of Doro Soul Food for a fascinating dinner exploring the ties between Italian and Ethiopian food traditions, from bread and coffee to pasta and hospitality.June 28 - Spice Routes at The Spice SuiteAngel Gregorio welcomes pastry superstar Paola Velez, Chef Anthony Jones, and Tim Ma for a celebration of spices, migration, entrepreneurship, and the stories that travel with us. Expect wisdom, laughter, and some incredible food.And that's just scratching the surface.EAT250 reminds us that American food isn't one thing. It never has been. It is a living, evolving story told by our families and communities.So here's to 250 years of gathering around the table. May the next course be just as delicious.For the full lineup and participating restaurants, visit EAT250.com.

Carla Hall, is at the top of her game. But getting there was no picnic. In this theatrical one-woman show, Carla Hall invites you to “strap in” for a wild, hilarious, and emotional ride as she reveals how she learned to embrace her own authenticity, “work her quirk” and finally step into her power. From her Tennessee roots as an awkward theater camp kid, to Howard University, to a stint on the runways of Paris, to her irreverent takes on the confusing expectations of Black excellence, crushing sexism, and the many attempts to erase her uniqueness, Carla has had to battle every step of the way to find her true voice – and wait till you hear it. In this insightful and inspiring World Premiere, Carla reveals the secret ingredients to her greatest creation: herself. This intimate exchange will leave audiences laughing, thinking, feeling and… maybe even discovering a little of their own power in simply being themselves.Carla Hall: Please Underestimate Me runs June 3 – July 12 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD. Tickets are $47-$101 and available online or by calling the box office at 301.924.3400. Discounts are available for groups, seniors, teachers, active military, first responders, and students. Visit olneytheatre.org/discounts for details.Bridging the food and theatre worlds, Honorary Producers for the production include Chef Eric Adjepong of Food Network’s “Wildcard Kitchen,” author, restaurateur, and TV personality Chef Spike Mendelsohn, food and wine publisher Nycci Nellis, Emmy-nominated journalist and producer Erin Como, and Nina Oduro, Co-founder of Black Women in Food. 

Nycci Nellis joined WTOP to share how Washington, D.C. is gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with watch parties, themed food and drink specials, and soccer-inspired events across the region. Popular viewing destinations include Hook Hall, The Wharf, and Union Market District, while restaurants such as Apapacho Taqueria, Casa Teresa, Shaw’s Tavern, and Elcielo Washington are offering World Cup-themed experiences and international cuisine. From large-scale fan zones and rooftop watch parties to hotel activations and special dining events, the tournament is turning the D.C. area into a month-long celebration of soccer, food, and community.

A fifth-generation mead maker carries a Holocaust survivor's legacy forward, one bottle at a time.Some stories start in a vineyard. This one starts in 19th-century Poland, survives a concentration camp and a death march, and lands in a tasting room in Mount Airy, Maryland. Rachel Loew Lipman didn't just inherit a winery. She inherited a reason. And if you've ever wondered whether a bottle of wine can hold memory, grief, and joy all at once, this episode of Industry Night, the DC food and hospitality podcast, is your answer.Maryland wine gets overlooked. It shouldn't. Winemaking here dates to the 1600s, and today more than 100 wineries are producing everything from cab francs to Vidal Blancs. But what Rachel is doing at Loew Vineyards goes beyond the glass. She's a DC food and hospitality insider's dream guest: a young head winemaker running Maryland's fourth oldest existing winery, its first kosher winery and meadery, and one of the longest continuous mead-making traditions in the world. This is the DC dining guide and hospitality podcast conversation you didn't know you needed.Rachel Loew Lipman is a fifth-generation mead maker, granddaughter of Holocaust survivor William Loew, and the force behind Loew Vineyards in Frederick County, Maryland. Her family's mead-making roots trace to 1800s Poland. She holds degrees in plant science and communications from the University of Maryland, a winemaking certification from Washington State, and experience in France. In 2025, she launched Maryland's first Star K certified mead. Watch the episode here, and listen to it here.