PREMIER ANNUAL EVENTS

Our premier annual events are open to both members and non-members:

This on-the-pulse event uncovers emerging food and beverage trends, featuring distinguished industry experts in panel discussions. Our well-attended reception preceding the main attraction offers a platform to showcase sponsor products and services, make connections, and forge valuable relationships with our influential members and enthusiastic foodies.

One of the LDNY premier annual events: The Next Big Sip

THE NEXT BIG SIP is a yearly event organized by the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier (LDNY) to discuss the biggest trends, and challenges to take place in the beverage world.

The Next Big Sip 2023 Program Booklet

One of the LDNY premier annual events: Summer Dine

This popular event began as an evening of concurrent dinners in major Big Apple restaurants, offering specially crafted menus and meet-the-chef opportunities. As we navigate the changes in our restaurant and hospitality industry, we look forward to creating opportunities and continuing to support the dining industry via our members, colleagues, friends, and sponsors.


Les Dames NY Presents: A Taste of Argentina – Empanadas & Wine

REGISTER HERE

  • Date: Thursday, April 4, 2024
  • Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
  • Location: International Culinary Center, 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10080
  • Ticket Price: LDNY Members $40 / General Public $45

Ticket price does not include processing fees. All ticket sales are final. Portion of proceeds benefit the LDNY Scholarship Fund.

Want to try your hand at making traditional Argentine empanadas? In this culinary workshop, native Argentinian Dame Odila Galer-Noel will take you through the preparation—revealing her insider family secrets and recipes—of these delicious and famous stuffed pockets from South America. Fellow Dame and Argentine wine expert, Francine Kowalsky, will join in on the fun and take us on a wine journey through Mendoza, Argentina while we wait for the empanadas to bake, leading a wine tasting of pours that match perfectly.

You will take home various empanada recipes so you can put your new learnings to the test, plus information on all of the wines tasted. SALUD!

Odila Galer-Noel is a seasoned public relations professional with extensive experience in the American and international wine and spirits market. Her passion for storytelling and crafting personalized and innovative campaigns for producers and importers has led her to establish long-term and privileged relationships with relevant media and the wine and spirits trade. An Argentine-born NYC resident, Odila enjoys traveling, discovering new and exciting dining spots and sipping a glass of wine with family and friends.

Francine Kowalsky is a graduate of Brandeis University and of the Culinary Institute of America. She followed her family’s footsteps in the Wine Industry and went to work for Frederick Wildman and Sons, one of the leading fine wine importers in the US. At Frederick Wildman, Francine held many different roles in Sales and Marketing, lastly as the AVP of Marketing for the Italian, South American and New World portfolios. Today Francine is the owner of WineDistilled, a sales and marketing firm dedicated to the wine and spirits industry. In addition to her wine and spirits business, Francine teaches cooking to children in an After School Program in Forest Hills.

Celestino Cassone and his family came to Argentina from Castelleto Merli, Piamonte , Italy. This region of Italy was rich with vineyards, wheat fields and small wineries.

His son Roberto, in the 50’s, bought his first vineyard in Algarrobo Grande, Junin, Mendoza and he started to make wine in a small winery named El Trebol. Roberto passed on to his son Eduardo the love and respect for the land. In 1999 Eduardo Cassone, together with his sons, built a new winery following the traditional Mendoza style in Mayor Drummond, Lujan de Cuyo. Nowadays most of his vineyards are located in this place known as the Primera Zona (First Area) for making first quality wines.

The sunny weather and the thermal amplitude are some of the special characteristics of the Lujan de Cuyo region that guarantee the freshness and harmony of our wines. Our winery produces different styles of wines, based on the nature of the vineyards, the origin of the grapes used in production and the wine making method oriented and professionally designed by our enologists. Learn more at familiacassone.com.ar or on IG @familiacassone



Book launch party for Stirring The Pot at Hollis Taggart Art Gallery. Photo credit Ric Kallaher.

Our events are open to both LDNY members and non-members.