About
Sips & Suppers is a major celebration of food and community in the Washington, DC metro area. Now in its fifth year, Sips & Suppers began in 2009 as the brainchild of Alice Waters to raise the awareness of homelessness and hunger in the nation’s capital and to promote efforts to develop sustainable and local solutions to these challenges.
The weekend supports the wonderful work of DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table, organizations that serve the neediest individuals in the nation’s capital. Since its inception, Sips & Suppers has raised over $675,000 in financing for the essential programs run by these organizations. The event is proudly hosted by celebrated chefs José Andrés, Joan Nathan & Alice Waters.
In 2013, Sips & Suppers will be held on the weekend of January 26–27.
On Saturday, January 26, 2013, Sips celebrates the contribution young people make to feeding and supporting their community. This lively cocktail reception features top artisan chefs and mixologists preparing their signature dishes and drinks. Held at the dramatic space, the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, in Washington, DC, and featuring a live jazz band, it is a fun and educational evening. Read full details on Sips.
On Sunday, January 27, 2013, Suppers features some of the country’s finest chefs preparing meals in private homes throughout the city. This year, we expect that Suppers will be served at 29 homes in the metro area to more than 550 guests. Renowned chefs from the DC region, from across the country, and, indeed, across the world, donate their time and skills to participate in these extraordinary evenings featuring great food and wine, and stimulating conversation. Locally we are excited to include Scott Drewno of The Source, Nick Stefanelli of Bibiana, Pati Jinich of The Mexican Cultural Institute, Haidar Karoum of Proof and Estadio, just to name a few. Also, from across the nation and abroad we are featuring Michael Anthony from Gramercy Tavern in NY, Elizabeth Bourgeois from Le Mas Tourteron in Gordes, France, David Lawrence from 1300 on Filmore in San Francisco and Joel Hough from Il Buco in NY. Read full details on Suppers.
The revenue from ticket sales for the weekend goes to the two 501(c)3 organizations supported by these events. Almost all food and wine, travel and accommodations for the chefs, the chefs’ time and venues are donated and expenses are kept to a minimum so most revenue goes directly to support the work of DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table.
The Auction:
For 5 years, now, Sips & Suppers has partnered with Le Baccanti Tours, a wine and tour organization based in Italy, who has donated the majority of the wine that we serve every year for Sips & Suppers. Filippo Bartolotta, from Le Baccanti, comes to DC every year and enthusiastically pours his wines for the weekend. This year, along with the wine, Le Baccanti Tours is also offering up two fantastic Italian villas in Italy for a silent auction! This extraordinary experience in Italy with fine wines and opportunities to explore the region is being offered to our Sips & Suppers guests. You must see the photos and the descriptions – they are irresistibly beautiful (CastellodelNero-Auction and TuscanVilla-Auction)! All bidding is online via email and bidding will close 24 hours after Sips & Suppers ends. To place your bids, please email them to sipsandsuppers@lebaccanti.com and put Sips & Suppers Silent Auction in the subject line. The winning bid will be announced on January 28th! Please contact Amy Bartscherer at bartschera@aol.com if you have any questions
About the organizations:
- DC Central Kitchen uses food as a tool to change lives. Each day, the Kitchen serves up 10,000 balanced meals packed with fresh, local produce. Half of these meals are delivered to area homeless shelters, after-school programs, and other nonprofit organizations serving low-income DC residents. The other half are prepared in DC public and private schools, making DCCK the only nonprofit in America conducting a full-service healthy school meal program. They also offer an acclaimed Culinary Job Training program that empowers at-risk, unemployed adults to embark on new careers. Many program graduates go on to work in their busy kitchens, supporting DCCK’s direct service programs and social enterprise activities. To learn more, please visit www.dccentralkitchen.org.
- Martha’s Table transforms lives by engaging the community in developing sustainable solutions to poverty. They help 1,100 people each day deal with the immediate effects of poverty and finds long-term solutions with education, nutrition and family support services. With special focus on education for children and youth ages 3 months to 24 years old, Martha’s Table provides day care services, college readiness, after school and summer programs, grocery and nutrition programs and a clothing store. Please go to www.marthastable.org for more information.