Resy’s Women Of Food Series Expands to 11 Cities for 2020
Returning For Year Three, The Series Gives the Leading ‘Women Of Food’ A Platform To Shine Light On Gender Inequity And Create Dialogue To Move The Restaurant Industry Forward
NEW YORK (Thursday, February 20, 2020) — Resy’s Women Of Food dinner series and platform – which celebrates the restaurant industry’s female leaders – returns for its third consecutive year, kicking off in March for International Women’s Month.
The 2020 Women Of Food tour will travel to 11 of the world’s best dining cities for intimate dinners hosted by an all-star, all-female group of chefs and restaurateurs who are collectively moving the industry toward a more equitable future. A theme of dedication will take center stage, as each host chef dedicates their dinner to a woman who has provided inspiration over the years. Tickets* can be purchased beginning Thursday, February 20 at Resy.com/womenoffood.
The series, started in 2018, is meant to shine a light on the staggering statistics of female representation in the restaurant industry: Women represent only 19% of chefs, 7% of head chefs, and there are 3 women for 14 men in professional kitchens across the US. Women chefs earn 28% less in base pay than their male counterparts, and of the 75 Michelin stars awarded to chefs in the US in 2019, only 11 went to women.
“Women Of Food is a celebration of amazing chefs and a platform for dialogue about the gender gap in restaurants. As we enter a new decade, rebalancing the industry must be a top priority,” said Resy CEO Ben Leventhal.
While the dinners are hot tickets, the series’ purpose is to elevate and amplify the sentiments of women working in the industry.
“We want the next generation of young women to have the chance to open a restaurant and be judged on who they are, rather than as women,” said the owners of King in New York City, Jess Shadbolt, Clare de Boer and Annie Shi (hosting NYC dinner on 3/16).
“As a leader in this industry, I am determined to use my platform to help uplift younger chefs, and to ensure the next generation of young women have an easier path than I did. It’s my hope that the next generation will be able to walk through the doors I am working to kick down,” said Deborah VanTrece, Chef-Owner of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours (hosting ATLANTA dinner on 4/2).
Award-winning restaurateur Rose Previte will kick off the tour on March 11 at Maydan, her Michelin-starred Washington, D.C. restaurant. In subsequent weeks, the women behind New York City’s King – Jess Shadbolt, Clare de Boer & Annie Shi – will create a special evening inspired by the great British cookbook author Elizabeth David. Mei Lin of Nightshade in Los Angeles and Kim Alter of San Francisco’s Nightbird will pay home to the women who have influenced every step of their journeys. Seattle’s celebrated Renee Erickson will host a sentimental dinner for her mother in the restaurant named after her, Bistro Shirlee, while Deborah VanTrece of Atlanta’s Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours will celebrate Juanita Baranco, a local entrepreneur who broke down racial and gender barriers. Across the pond in London, Skye Gyngell of Spring will honor her first and most enduring mentor, Chef Layla Sorfie, who she says built her confidence and curiosity in cooking. The series will also make stops in Boston with Cassie Piuma (Sarma), Philadelphia with Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran (Barbuzzo, Bud & Marilyn’s, and more), before it wraps up in early April with Sarah Grueneberg of Chicago’s Monteverde and Anastasia Koutsioukis founder of Mandolin Aegean Bistro hosted at their New American restaurant, Gregory’s in Miami.
Women Of Food – called a “Woman-Led Dinner Series Changing the Culinary Status Quo’ by Vogue – debuted in San Francisco in 2018 when Resy approached Michelin starred chef Dominique Crenn with a desire to use its network to spotlight trailblazing female chefs. Crenn, a vocal advocate of female representation in the restaurant world, agreed it was a necessary and important program and the inaugural series featured Niki Nakayama (n/naka, Los Angeles), Judy Joo (Jinjuu, London and Hong Kong), Barbara Lynch (No. 9 Park, Boston), Nancy Silverton (Mozza Restaurant Group, Los Angeles), and more. In 2019, the series expanded nationally to 9 cities, with dinners hosted by Missy Robbins (Lilia, Misi), Jessica Koslow (Sqirl, Onda), Gabriela Cámara (Contramar, Onda) and more.
Women Of Food 2020 Series Schedule
- Wednesday, March 11th – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rose Previte, Maydan
- Monday, March 16th – NYC – Jess Shadbolt, Clare de Boer & Annie Shi, King
- Tuesday, March 17th – BOSTON – Cassie Piuma, Sarma
- Monday, March 23rd – LOS ANGELES – Mei Lin, Nightshade
- Tuesday, March 24th – PHILADELPHIA – Marcie Turney & Valerie Safran, Barbuzzo (private event space)
- Friday, March 27th – LONDON – Skye Gyngell, Spring Restaurant
- Monday, March 30th – SAN FRANCISCO – Kim Alter, Nightbird
- Tuesday, March 31st – SEATTLE – Renee Erickson, Bistro Shirlee
- Thursday, April 2nd – ATLANTA – Deborah VanTrece, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours
- Monday, April 6th – CHICAGO – Sarah Grueneberg, Monteverde
- Tuesday, April 7th – MIAMI – Anastasia Koutsioukis, Gregory’s
*To Purchase Tickets
Starting Thursday, February 20th at 10am EST American Express® Card Members get exclusive early access to tickets at Resy.com/womenoffood and in the Resy app. American Express Card Members can purchase tickets by adding an American Express Card to their Resy account, and then purchasing tickets with that American Express Card. During the specified early sales period, tickets are available exclusively to American Express Card Members. Tickets are first-come, first-served. Standard service charges apply. Offer is subject to availability. All sales final. No refunds. No exchanges. Offer may be changed or revoked at any time at the sole discretion of American Express. Must be of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, February 24th at 10am EST. Ticket price ($150/person for US dinners, £110/person for London dinner) includes food, beverages, and service.
For more information, visit Resy.com/womenoffood.
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