Philadelphia, PA – Les Dames D’Escoffier Philadelphia announces the 2026 Outstanding in Her Field Heritage Dinner on Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. This enchanting open-air dinner will be set amid the river banks of the Delaware at the gorgeous grounds of Glen Foerd Mansion, at 5001 Grant Avenue. Over two dozen top chefs, bakers and restaurateurs from around the Greater Philadelphia region will present this one-of-a-kind shared meal that raises money for scholarships for women entering the culinary field. During the feast, guests will raise a glass in honor of this year’s Outstanding in Her Field honorees, including Rose Levy Beranbaum (The Cake Bible), Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer (of the Canal House Station and Studio) and Michele Leff (owner of 12th Street Catering).
The menu will include dishes from Joncarl Lachman, Adam Delosso, Chris Nguyễn, Valerie Erwin, Olga Sorzano, Angie Brown, Rachel Klein and others. The meal will include a raw bar from Sweet Amalia Oysters. The Grand Cake Table in Beranbaum’s honor will include decadent offerings from Frosted Fox Cake Shop, Night Kitchen, Isgro’s, Sunflower Bakeshop, Walnut Hill College, New June, Neo Bakes, Diane’s La Patisserie, Roux Culinary, Drexel, 12th Street Catering, John & Kira’s Chocolates, Eclat, Franklin Fountain and Linvilla. Les Dames D’Escoffier Philadelphia will team up this year with students from Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College who will aid with preparations in advance and during the event itself. Tickets for the 2026 Heritage Dinner are on sale now at lesdamesphilly.org/events/
“Les Dames’ Heritage Dinner focuses on our mission of uplifting women in the culinary and hospitality fields,” said Les Dames Philadelphia Co-President Lynn Buono. “Though there is much good work done by our chapter and honorees during the other 364 days of the year, on this night the communal meal and awards create a laser beam of attention on that mission. While we do raise scholarship and grant money, certainly, our primary goal is to promote even more activity in our drive to highlight and promote women who work with and about food.”
Philadelphia has a storied culinary history, and professional women have been integral to the development of restaurants, catering companies, farms and food production since the city was founded.
In order to honor this heritage, Les Dames d’Escoffier Philadelphia developed Outstanding In Her Field in 2016 to recognize Philadelphia-area women for their accomplishments in the food, beverage or hospitality industries. Past winners have included Claire Boasi, Susanna Foo, Aliza Green, Ann Karlen, Esther McManus, Kathleen Mulhern, Judy Wicks, Ellen Yin, Lisa Calvo, Melissa McGrath and Valerie Erwin.
For 2026, Les Dames d’Escoffier Philadelphia is proud to honor:
Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Cake Bible
* Rose Levy Beranbaum is an internationally known food and baking expert. She has been called the “diva of desserts,” “the most meticulous cook who ever lived,” and “legendary baker.” She has published fifteen books. The Cake Bible was inducted into both the IACP and James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame (six other awards include the Who’s Who). Her memoir, Ma Vie en Rose, includes time capsules of the evolving golden age of the food world, interwoven with her career. Rose also has written for major food magazines, and had a PBS Show. Rose is a designer of equipment for baking and cooking. Her popular blog is Real Baking with Rose. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and partner Woody Wolston.
* Best known for popularizing the reverse-creaming method, in which flour is coated with fat before liquid and eggs are added. This creates cakes with a fine, tender crumb and helps prevent excess gluten development. Renowned for her meticulous research and foolproof techniques, she has transformed how generations of home bakers understand baking. She is also referred to as the woman who transformed American home baking through precision, science, and fearless innovation; pioneering author of The Cake Bible – the groundbreaking work that introduced standardized weights, ingredient science, and techniques like reverse creaming to generations of home bakers.
* She will debut her new book and very personal memoir “Ma Vie en Rose: My Sweet Life” the same week as the event. Beranbaum’s personal journey spanned from a sensitive, food-averse child in postwar New York to the pioneering author of The Cake Bible – the groundbreaking work that introduced standardized weights, ingredient science, and techniques like reverse creaming to generations of home bakers. Along the way, she also designed innovative precision equipment, further advancing accuracy and confidence in the kitchen. Set against the rise of food television, the cultural shifts of the 1960s, and the golden age of cookbook publishing, Ma Vie en Rose offers both an intimate portrait of resilience and a working collection of recipes that shaped modern baking. Whether you are an experienced baker or simply drawn to stories of passion and perseverance, this memoir invites you into a story where exactness evolves into empowerment – and measurement holds deep meaning.
Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, Canal House
* Christopher Hirsheimer was founding editor of Saveur Magazine.She helped define a new kind of American food journalism and photography focused on the connections between food, place, memory, and culture. Melissa Hamilton later joined the magazine as test-kitchen director and food editor, further aligning their professional paths. Together they established Canal House in Lambertville, New Jersey. Through their Canal House Cooking series, photography, recipes, and later Canal House Station, in Milford, New Jersey, they developed a style rooted in the Delaware Valley: seasonal, unfussy, and attentive to the pleasures of farms, markets, kitchens, and shared meals. With their Canal House Studio, they continue to influence the culinary geography between Philadelphia and New York through the fertile corridor between them.
Michele Leff, 12th Street Catering
* Michele Leff is a visionary hospitality leader and the Founder & Principal of 12th Street Catering, one of Philadelphia’s most respected caterers. She began in 1982 with the opening of 12th Street Cantina in the Reading Terminal that has evolved into a dynamic catering company that does weddings, corporate events, galas and large scale events. All the while, Leff is always giving back to the community. She has dedicated over 40 years to the culinary world, with the founding of 12th Street Catering as one of the most rewarding chapters of her career. Her journey began in 1982 when she opened 12th Street Cantina in Reading Terminal Market, which would become the spark that ignited her love for food and service. Today, with a 32,000 square foot facility and a devoted team of 365 employees, 12th Street Catering creates an unmatched catering experience that features an in-house bakery, full kitchen, apiary, private garden, and menu tasting room. A graduate of Temple University, Michele continuously reinvents 12th Street Catering to meet client needs, providing high-quality, innovative cuisine for events throughout the Philadelphia region. Her mission has always been to offer love-forward cuisine that brings people together and expands what they know about good food. Today, that mission stays alive through everything 12th Street Catering does.
“Rose Levy Beranbaum, (of the Cake Bible fame), Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer (of the Canal House Station and Studio) and Michele Leff (owner of 12th Street Catering), crafted their careers by very different paths and, on the surface, are very different people,” said Buono. “What is important is what unites them: amazing integrity, blazing work ethics, their contributions to the food world, and a commitment to caring for their community. When talking to the culinary world, they are all so respected and dare I say beloved.”
For the celebratory communal meal, look for offerings to include locally-sourced ingredients, with gluten-f ree and vegan dishes. The extraordinary menu will include:
HOR D’OEUVRES
* Award winning Sweet Amalia Oysters along with hors d’oeuvre prepared by the Les Dames community.
FAMILY STYLE DINNER
* The meal is served family style with each chef emphasizing the Sunday Dinner concept that the Canal House Studio authors, Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer promoted at the former restaurant in the writing today. (they have 9 cookbooks to their series and are working on a new one.) Each dishes honors one of the award winners and shows the diversity of our area’s food culture.
* Joncarl Lachman from Winkel and formly Noord is cooking from his Dutch roots and making Herring with Amsterdam pickled vegetables
* Adam Delosso executive chef of 12th Street is doing one of Philadelphia’s truly iconic dishes the famous 12th Street Cantina Chicken Mole with Queso Fresco, Grilled Scallion, and Mexican Rice (in Leff’s honor)
* Seared Salmon with Chanterelles Ragout (a Canal House iconic recipe from Hirsheimer and Hamilton)
* Chris Nguyễn, executive chef of Constellation Culinary (Art Museum, Barnes to name a few) Vietnamese Vegetable Root Curry with French Baguettes (plant based)
* Valerie Erwin, last year’s awardee, who is on the board of the Peoples Kitchen and from Geechee Girl presents tenderloin of Beef with sauces
* Olga Sorzano, founder and owner of Baba’s Brew Kombucha and the Culture Factory presents Royal Corona Bean Salad with Olive Tapenade, Celery, and Pickled Onions (plant based)
* Angie Brown former culinary director of Rex will fire up Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables (plant based)
* Rachel Klein from Miss Rachel’s Pantry will present a seasonal farm dish (TBD)
DESSERTS – GRAND CAKE TABLE IN ROSE’S HONOR
* The event will feature a grand cake (and sweet) table in honor of Rose Levy Beranbaum sponsored by the iconic kitchen store Fantes. Pastry chefs, bakeries and restaurants from across the tri-state region will contribute offerings for a once-in-a-lifetime spread, with contributions from:
Frosted Fox Cake Shop
Night Kitchen
Isgro’s
Sunflower Bakeshop
Walnut Hill College
New June
Neo Bakes
Diane’s La Patisserie
Roux Culinary
Drexel
12th Street Catering
John & Kira’s Chocolates
* Night Kitchen’s special cake is being created with a special dedication to Rose as their opening recipes were inspired by The Cake Bible. Look for a special rose on top of the cake centerpiece on the grand table special as a tribute to Beranbaum.
* A special Chocolate Cart from Eclat with crowd favorites, Calvados Caramel, June Bugs and Yuzu Hojicha.
* To finish off the evening, Franklin Fountain is bringing their ice creams including their honey comb and vegan Chocolate.
* Linvilla is providing a variety of apples to be accompanied by local honey and challah.
Proceeds from the event will support LDEI’s scholarship programs that offer aid to women pursuing careers in food, hospitality, beverage and agriculture. For more information, go to lesdamesphilly dot org/scholarships/
Tickets are on sale now starting at $200 at lesdamesphilly dot org/events/
A special $300 ticket this year includes reserved preferred seating, name in program and a personalized advance copy of “Ma Vie en Rose: My Sweet Life) ahead of its publication date.
Scholarships
The Philadelphia Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local women and their endeavors in the food, beverage, farm and hospitality industries. In addition to mentoring members, the Philadelphia chapter provides entrepreneurial grants and scholarships for women in culinary-related educational programs, from high-school through continuing and professional education. All proceeds raised through our Heritage Dinner support the chapter’s annual Scholarship Awards Program.
About Les Dames d’Escoffier
Les Dames d’Escoffier is a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The membership is composed of 40 individual chapters across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. Members are committed to the advancement of education and philanthropy in food, beverage and hospitality for the good of the global community.
About the Philadelphia Chapter
The Philadelphia Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier was founded in 1984 by some of the most pioneering women in the Philadelphia food scene, including: Susanna Foo, Judy Wicks, Aliza Green, Kathleen Mulhern, Claire Boasi and Julie Dannenbaum. Our chapter continues to count among its members award-winning chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, educators and more.