Bookalokal - A Gastronomic Culinary Journey
Imagine this...
You are at someone's house, enjoying local food from the host's country among people you have never met before and are having the time of your life.
Well, this culinary adventure - Bookalokal - has arrived to the Nation's Capital and I am overjoyed. I first read about a similar dining concept in the New York Times but the featured city was Paris, France. Literally, the next day at a food blogger happy hour, I met Jackie Woodbury who had just been hired by Bookalokal for the Washington D.C. area. I couldn't believe I had just read about this fun idea centered around food and travel and now it was becoming a reality.
Bookalokal was founded in Brussels, Belgium in 2012 by Evelyne White (Co-Founder, CEO) and Frank Ramirez (Co-Founder, Product Manager). The capital of the European Union was chosen because of its large population of expats and food culture appreciation. In 2014, the founders of Booklokal, set their eyes on the U.S. market and chose Washington, D.C. as its first American city because it had many similarities to Brussels.
This online marketplace for local food experiences runs the gamut from themed dinners to cocktail classes to champagne and chocolate tastings. Seriously, can life get any better? You can choose to be involved in either two ways - as a guest and indulge or as ahost where you can demonstrate your skill set.
A few weeks ago, Bookalokal held a happy hour at the Liaison Hotel, on its picturesque rooftop, to officially introduce Jackie, as Bookalokal's DC City Launcher. Guests enjoyed tasty bites from the hotel's signature restaurant, Art & Soul, which included Chef Art Smith's famous chicken wings and a special Bookalokal cocktail that was incredibly refreshing.
Evelyne and Frank spoke about Bookalokal and Jackie about her excitement on connecting the D.C. community with this new gastronomic concept. A little bit about the newest team member. Jackie, a passionate foodie, has lived in the nation's capital for 7 years and is incredibly familiar with the D.C. food scene. Not only has she already co-hosted a Bookalokal event, but she has also attended a few. This not only shows her commitment but also her enthusiasm for Bookalokal. I truly believe that she is the right individual to launch this program here in D.C. and quite honestly, she is the nicest person ever. I am sure she will be very successful in this venture.
The merriment continued. The invitees were then quizzed on unique Bookalokal facts; and the right answers resulted in additional raffle tickets for great prizes such as complimentary Bookalokal dinners/events and a box full of Zipz Wine, premium wine-to-go.
So when is my first bookalokal experience, you ask? Well, it will be August 13 - Belgian Nostalgia - with Jessica as the hostess, and I am ecstatic. It will be a Belgian culinary journey that will include mussels in white wine, chicken in a Kriek sauce and a chocolate mousse made with Belgian chocolate, of course ;-). *YUM*
My advice is to go out and discover Bookalokalyourself. Already from word of mouth, I know that you won't be disappointed and that you will enjoy some unforgettable bon appétit moments.
Bookalokal is also very active on social media and my recommendation is that you follow them for updates, new classes or just for *drool worthy* photos ... Twitter * Facebook * Instagram
