“The Cake Bible” author and 24 Philly chefs are hosting an epic open-air feast at a Delaware River mansion — featuring a “grand cake table” and $200 tickets

On Sunday, September 13, the grounds of Glen Foerd Mansion on the Delaware River will host one of the Philadelphia food world’s most anticipated nights of the year. Les Dames d’Escoffier Philadelphia’s 2026 Outstanding in Her Field Heritage Dinner runs from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 5001 Grant Avenue, bringing together more than two dozen chefs, bakers, and restaurateurs for a family-style open-air feast that doubles as a scholarship fundraiser for women pursuing careers in food, beverage, hospitality, and agriculture.

Now in its tenth year, Outstanding in Her Field remains the only awards event in the tri-state region dedicated exclusively to recognizing women’s contributions to the culinary world. Since its 2016 launch, the dinner has raised thousands of dollars in scholarships and grants.

Rose Levy Beranbaum — author of The Cake Bible, inductee into both the IACP and James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, and the baker who introduced reverse creaming and standardized weight measurements to generations of home bakers — is being honored the same week her new memoir, Ma Vie en Rose: My Sweet Life, hits shelves. A grand cake table sponsored by kitchen institution Fantes will be assembled in her honor, with contributions from Night Kitchen, Frosted Fox Cake Shop, Isgro’s, Sunflower Bakeshop, New June, Neo Bakes, Diane’s La Patisserie, Eclat, Franklin Fountain, Linvilla, and others. Night Kitchen’s centerpiece cake will carry a special rose on top — a nod to Beranbaum’s foundational influence on their own opening recipes.

Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, co-founders of Canal House in Lambertville, NJ, shaped a distinctly American approach to food photography and journalism through their nine-volume Canal House Cooking series — rooted in seasonal, unfussy cooking tied to the Delaware Valley’s farms and markets. Hirsheimer was a founding editor of Saveur; Hamilton served as its test-kitchen director and food editor.

Michele Leff, founder of 12th Street Catering, built one of Philadelphia’s most respected catering operations over four decades — starting with a single cantina stall at Reading Terminal Market in 1982 and growing it into a 32,000-square-foot facility with 365 employees, an in-house bakery, apiary, and private garden.

The dinner is served family style, with each dish reflecting both the honorees’ legacies and the region’s culinary diversity. Joncarl Lachman prepares herring with Amsterdam pickled vegetables; Adam Delosso, executive chef of 12th Street, makes the iconic 12th Street Cantina Chicken Mole with Queso Fresco and Grilled Scallion; Chris Nguyễn of Constellation Culinary brings a Vietnamese Vegetable Root Curry with French Baguettes; Valerie Erwin (last year’s awardee) presents beef tenderloin; Olga Sorzano of Baba’s Brew Kombucha contributes a Royal Corona Bean Salad; and Angie Brown fires up Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables. A seared salmon with chanterelle ragout — a Canal House classic — also features on the menu, alongside a raw bar from Sweet Amalia Oysters. Gluten-free and vegan options are available throughout.

Students from the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College will assist with preparations and service on the night.

Tickets start at $200, with a $300 tier that includes reserved preferred seating, a name in the program, and an advance copy of Beranbaum’s memoir before its publication date. All proceeds support Les Dames Philadelphia’s annual Scholarship Awards Program. Tickets are available at lesdamesphilly.org/events.