As we wind down Women’s History Month, local author JoAnn Hill is highlighting even more female chefs, restaurateurs, chocolatiers, bakers, and culinary forces who fill our bellies and feed our city.
All of these stories come from JoAnn’s new book Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC,, where she leads readers on a mouthwatering adventure throughout the Washington, DC, area to explore eats and eateries that are both familiar and exotic. In the book, you’ll discover an extraordinary collection of food and drink experts exquisitely seasoned by dashes of passion, sprinkles of grit, and pinches of ingenuity.
Here are five of them, all owned and powered by women.
Photo Courtesy of Rochalle Stewart
DC Dosa
South Indian Street Food
DC Dosa founder Priya Ammu is someone who approaches life with warmth and zeal, just as she does in her kitchen. A native of Bombay, Ammu’s affection for food began at a young age. She came to the US at 19 to attend college, later settling in DC. Her mother-in-law introduced her to dosas, crispy lentil-flour crepes stuffed with various fillings and toppings. She fell in love with the popular South Indian street food, bought herself a pressure cooker and tava (griddle), and began cooking dosas and making chutneys.
Ammu tried her hand at catering and farmers markets, but it was winning a contest through Think Local First that ultimately propelled her to officially launch her business. Ammu prepares her food for her customers as she does for her family: with fresh and healthy ingredients and an abundance of love. She feels tremendous pride when exposing individuals to South Indian fare, a cuisine often underrepresented and unfamiliar to many.
Read All About It: Read more about Priya and DC Dosa on pages 126-127 of Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC.
Where To Dig In: Visit DC Dosa in DC at Union Market at 1309 5th St. NE. In Virginia, you’ll find them at National Landing Water Park: 1731 Crystal Dr. Arlington, VA. In Maryland, DC Dosa is in the Heights Food Hall at 5310 Western Ave. Bethesda, MD.
Photo Courtesy of Rachel A. Sale
Pie Shop
Sweet, Sweet Melody
A pie shop simultaneously serving as a music concert venue may sound a bit unconventional, but for Pie Shop owner Sandra Basanti, it’s a harmonious blend of sweetness, familiarity, and remembrance. Growing up in Northern Virginia, Sandra frequently came into the city to attend concerts at legendary music venues like the 9:30 Club. Music has always played a significant role in Sandra’s life. This tiny hip gem strums the sweetest of symphonies, orchestrating a delicious dance between two of life’s greatest pleasures.
Everyone who works at Pie Shop, including Sandra and husband Stevie, are self-taught with no professional training. The kitchen has become Stevie’s domain, where his Irish background is lovingly baked into many of their sweet and savory pies, including their crowd-pleasing Guinness Steak Pie. The shop and its pleasing pies are intentionally rustic, reflecting tastes of tradition and home. Patrons can dig their forks into a multitude of vintage, time-tested fillings like apple, pecan, sweet potato, and pumpkin. For those looking to experiment with different sweet combinations, choose from scrumptious slices like s’mores pie and Samoa cookie pie, inspired by the excess of Sandra’s daughter’s Girls Scout Cookie boxes that have piled high around the house.
Read All About It: Read more about Sandra Basanti on pages 58-59 of Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC.
Where To Dig In: Visit Pie Shop at 1339 H St. NE.
Photo Courtesy of Mango Tomato
Prescription Chicken
Rx For the Soup-loving Soul
After a bout with laryngitis and an unsuccessful late-night search for homemade chicken noodle soup, Val Zweig decided to take matters into her own hands. She enlisted her cousin Taryn Pellicone, and together the two “chix,” as they cleverly call themselves, teamed up to create homemade chicken noodle soup that would alter DC’s soup scene forever.
Val and Taryn began cooking in Val’s kitchen, simmering steaming batches of grandma-style chicken noodle and matzah ball soup. They eventually took their skills to Mess Hall, where they joined fellow cooks in the shared commercial kitchen space. Here, the duo had immediate access to cookware, appliances, and a wealth of other benefits within the food and beverage community. They launched their delivery service in 2016, using increasingly popular delivery platforms like Uber Eats to expand their reach across the region. Soon their soothing soups found their way into countless homes, helping alleviate common colds and debilitating hangovers while providing flavorsome tastes of home.
Read All About It: Read more about Val and Taryn and Prescription Chicken on pages 106-107 of Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC.
Where To Dig In: Visit Prescription Chicken at 1819 7th St. NW.
Photo Courtesy of Teaism
Teaism
Steeped in Love and Accessibility
When trailblazers Michelle Brown and Linda Neumann founded Teaism in 1996, they were among the first to introduce DC not just to fast-casual dining, but also to the notion that tea could extend beyond the commonplace versions found in most grocery stores. They wanted to debunk the misconception that tea was simply powder stuffed into a bag with a string attached or that it was only served in dainty teacups. Together they harnessed their reverence and expertise of exotic loose tea to create an Asian-inspired teahouse where tea is accessible to all.
Lela Singh grew up watching her mother Michelle and Linda share their erudition of tea. She was given responsibilities like wiping off tables while gradually learning the business. Today, Lela plays an integral role in operations and helps carry the torch in presenting tea in an Asian context, staying authentic where it matters but not so obsessively that it feels forced.
Read All About It: Read more about Michelle, Linda, and Lela and Teaism on pages 48-49 of Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC.
Where To Dig In: Visit Teaism’s website for locations.
Photo Courtesy of Yekta Market and Kabob Counter
Yekta Persian Market & Kabob Counter
The DMV’s Oldest Market
Yekta Market resembles a Middle Eastern bazaar where sense are heightened and wanderlust is evoked. What’s exotic to some is a source of comfort to others, and there lies the beauty of this cherished, family-run market. As the region’s oldest Iranian market, Yekta has proudly served both long-time regulars and curious newcomers for over 40 years.
In 1977, Yadi Dadras and his family left Iran and immigrated to the United States. Two years later, Dadras and his uncle opened Yekta to create a space where Iranians could find the familiar foods and products of home.
Meaning “unique” or “only one” in Farsi, Yekta was the area’s first market of its kind. While Middle Eastern and other ethnic markets are more prevalent today, in the late 1970s there was nothing like it for miles. Dadras was a pioneer in his own right, aptly naming his market and paving the way for the many who followed.
Today sisters Sougol Mollaan and Sahel Dadras carry on the family legacy by honoring the vision of their late father. They grew up running around the market and watching their family interact with customers. Now as co-owners, they are committed to upholding family traditions while leaving their own mark.
Read All About It: Read more about sisters Sougol Mollaan and Sahel Dadras and Yekta Persian Market on pages 93-94 of Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC.
Where To Dig In: Visit Yekta Persian Market & Kabob Center at 1488 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD.
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JoAnn Hill is the author of Unique Eats and Eateries of Washington, DC, Secret Washington, DC: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, and DC Scavenger. JoAnn has spent more than 20 years exploring Washington, DC, and has written extensively about the region’s hidden histories and peculiarities, active pursuits, and vibrant food and drink scenes. Through her passion for food and adventure, she shares stories and tips that satiate the hungry enthusiast and inspire the curious traveler. When she’s not writing, you will find her teaching fitness classes, enjoying a night at the theater, and exploring as much of the world with her husband as she possibly can. JoAnn is the co-founder of Capitol Teachers, a full-service tutoring company servicing students in the greater Washington, DC, area as well as across the country.
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