Chef Sarah Stegner has joined with several women chefs and restaurateurs to encourage people to support women-owned restaurants. Dubbed “Women’s Restaurant Week” and presented by Let’s Talk and supported by the Illinois Restaurant Association, Choose Chicago and the James Beard Foundation, the 6-day event appropriately kicks off on “Women’s Equality Day,” Wednesday, August 26 and runs through August 31.
In addition to Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe, Northbrook), other chefs and restaurateurs include: Beverly Kim (Parachute, Wherewithall), Carrie Nahabedian (Brindille); Danielle Dang (HaiSous); Amy & Clodaugh Lawless (The Dearborn), Sandra Holl (Floriole), and Rohini Dey (Vermilion), JBF trustee and Let’s Talk founder. A full list of Let’s Talk members is below with more women joining daily.
Chef Stegner says she will be offering pre-ordered meals to go throughout the week. The offer will change daily and will feature a protein with sustainable produce from Nichols Farm & Orchard, Three Sisters Garden and Mick Klug Farm, for curbside pickup. Stegner is a founder of Green City Market and a long-time supporter of sustainable, local food.
“The idea came out of a Let’s Talk group zoom call with women chefs involved in the James Beard Foundation,” says Stegner, a two-time James Beard Award winner. “It was smart to band together to face the COVID19 challenges, learn from each other and encourage customers to support our women-owned restaurants.”
Women’s Restaurant Week is led by the Chicago JBF “Let’s Talk” Forum to which seventeen Chicago area women restaurateurs belong. Their purpose is to support each other and survive this crisis together.
Women’s Restaurant Week is open to all women-owned restaurants, bakers, and food-related and beverage businesses. Each business will offer a special dine-in meal, product for sale, delivery, or pick up offer to showcase their business to Chicagoland.
Partial list of Women’s Restaurant Week Participants:
- Mary Aregoni (Saigon Sisters)
- Deann Bayless (Frontera Group)
- Dana Cree (Pretty Cool Ice Cream)
- Danielle Dang (HaSous)
- Diana Davila (Mi Tocaya)
- Rohini Dey (Vermilion), JBF trustee and Let’s Talk founder
- Sophie Evanoff (Vanille Patisserie)
- Theresa Ging (Sugar Bliss Cakes)
- Mindy Gohr (Bittersweet)
- Sandra Holl (Floriole)
- Beverly Kim (Parachute, Wherewithall)
- Amy & Clodagh Lawless (The Dearborn)
- Kristen Barnhisel & Cynthia Lohr (J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines)
- Julia Momose (Kumiko)
- Carrie Nahabedian (Brindille)
- Laurence Noguier (Bistronomic)
- Agnes Rapacz (TeaGschwendner)
- Tigist Reda (Demera Chicago)
- Julia Shell & Sarah Syman (The Dandy Crown)
- Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe)
Visit the Women’s Restaurant Week website for updates and offers: https://www.choosechicago.com/event/womens-restaurant-week/