November 9
"Mike the Peanut Guy"
Mike Shaughnessy, who produces the delicious South Carolina fried peanuts sold at our information tent, will be here in person Sunday, November 9, boiling peanuts on site. Check out this once-a-year opportunity! |
November 2
Ris Lacoste, a fixture in the District's culinary world for nearly two decades, will be presenting a chef demo at the Olney Farmers Market on Sunday.
Doris (Ris) Lacoste is one of the top chefs in Washington D.C. Following her studies at Anne Willan's famous La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris, Lacoste traveled back to her native New England. There she joined Chef Bob Kinkead at the Harvest Restaurant in Cambridge, MA - Harvard Square. After that, Lacoste assisted Kincead with opening 21 Federal in Nantucket and later in D.C. In 1992, they were named Restaurantuers of the Year by Washingtonian magazine. In 1993, Lacoste opened the renowned Kinkead's - An American Brasserie- which has become a D.C. dining institution. In 1995, Lacoste went forward to become Executive Chef for Georgetown's landmark restaurant 1789. During her time as Executive Chef, she earned the title of "Chef of the Year" and 1789 received the honor of "Restaurant of the Year" by The Capital Restaurant & Hospitality Awards. 1789 was continuously recognized as one of the nation's finest restaurants while under the creative control of Lacoste. Her innovative, regional American cuisine earned her awards from The Washington Post and Wine Spectator magazine, as well as recognition by the James Beard Foundation. Her work brought an unprecedented level of acclaim to this restaurant. In 2002, a dinner she created in celebration of Julia Child's 90th birthday was filmed and became a top-rated documentary on Washington's premier public television outlet, WETA in the summer of 2004. Lacoste left 1789 in the beginning of 2007 and has been working to open her own restaurant, which will be called "Ris" and is scheduled to open in late spring or fall of 2009 and will be located at 23rd and L Streets on Washington's West End.
She has publicly stated her desire to fashion the food and the atmosphere of her new restaurant around her personality, which she describes as warm and unpretentious. She has stated her intention to make the restaurant rustic, affordable, and full of heart.
Lacoste is also very active in the community, participating in annual fundraising efforts for the Ovarian Cancer Alliance, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and D.C. Central Kitchen, to name a few. She sits on the board of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and is a trustee for the non-profit organization Hospitality High School of Washington D.C. Lacoste is also a regular contributor to Fine Cooking magazine and Food Service Monthly.
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