From the Bay, For the Bay Dine Out is a celebration of Maryland Seafood from Philadelphia to Northern Virginia.   RIS and participating restaurants across the mid-Atlantic will feature fresh Maryland seafood as well as provide their patrons an opportunity to support Chesapeake Bay watermen and the ecosystem.

For every Maryland seafood dinner sold during the promotion, participating restaurants will donate $1.00 to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, a non-profit organization that works to replenish the Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster population. Since 2000, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, along with its coalition of partners, has planted nearly 3 BILLION oysters in the Bay -- with each mature oyster able to filter 50 gallons of water per day—and restored nearly 1,500 acres of Bay bottom!

From October 2 to 9, RIS will be featuring Maryland crabcakes in support of From the Bay, For the Bay. Come and dine for a good cause!

Join RIS and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) as they present their annual World Fare: A Street Food Festival this fall. Stroll through the “World Fare” and enjoy fabulous street fare menu items while meeting the region’s top women chefs, sommeliers, farmers, bee keepers, cheese makers, food truck operators and more. Sample beer and wine and craft cocktails from the best women brewers, wine makers and mixologists from around the country. Check out the excitement from last year's event!

Emcee, Nycci Nellis from WTOP’s Foodie and the Beast and TheListAreYouOnIt.com and auctioneer, Carla Hall, Top Chef Finalist and co-host of ABC’s new show "The Chew" will help you vicariously travel the world with a Live Auction featuring a series of unique culinary experiences from WCR's vintage steamer trunk! A Silent Auction will feature additional culinary experiences displayed in vintage luggage and Door Prizes will also be given away. Get your tickets today!

To continue our September mushroom theme, Chef Ris will be speaking today on the Kojo Nnamdi Show today at noon. Take a mid-day break and listen! Then use your newfound wisdom to try a new mushroom recipe from guest and author Jack Czarnecki's A Cook's Book of Mushrooms. Pictured here are Saffron Milk Cap Mushrooms.

Who knew that DC had a rainy season? Although it may have presented its challenges, it also had some farm benefits, namely the abundance of mushrooms.

Read here for a mushroom perspective, from this month's Georgetowner. For all of you home chefs, there is a delicious recipe for our Chef Jed's Marinated Mushrooms. Try it this weekend!

The brisk chill in the air is a welcome to Fall, which starts this Friday, September 23. Chef Sarah says to look for pumpkins! There are plenty to be found at our local markets, but for a fun day trip with the kids, Wegmeyer Farms' Pumpkin Season opens this Saturday, September 24. They have over 30 varieties of pumpkins, and an educational hayride. Check out the location and details here.

Apples and pears are here as well.... Also, squash of all kinds - butternut, acorn, spaghetti and more! Try Chef Ris's Brown Sugar Squash Pie, as was featured in Fine Cooking. Happy Fall!

Come Celebrate with us! We are proud recipients of Slow Food DC’s Snail of Approval. To help guide people to food that is good, clean and fair, Slow Food DC is celebrating eateries and artisans who contribute to the quality, authenticity and sustainability of the food we eat and the beverages we drink in the Washington, DC metro area.

The First Annual Snail of Approval Awards Party is this Sunday, September 25, from 4-7pm on Poste Moderne Brassiere’s patio. (555 8th St NW.) Purchase tickets in advance, $30 for Slow Food DC members, $35 for non-members. Tickets include a sampling of local roasts and flavors and a glass of wine or beer. For more information on the Snail of Approval, visit www.slowfooddc.org

Today, we are happy to welcome Whole Foods to our Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Come visit us two times at the new Whole Foods (located at 2201 Eye Street NW) during their grand opening week, as we demo some of our summer offerings. Chef Ris will be making her Greek Feta and Tomato Salad at the store on Friday 9/9 from 6-8pm. Chef Sarah will be offering Gnudi on Sunday 9/11 from 3-5pm. Come on out and say hi!   

We're definitely a reading crowd here at RIS, and we love to share a good foodie book. This month, we're devouring The Food of a Younger Land. Now that the kids are back in school and you have a moment to yourself, this is an easy, enjoyable read about the culture of food. "A portrait of American food- before the national highway system, before chain restaurants, and before frozen food, when the nation's food was seasonal."

We already have another exciting selection for next month, but if you have a favorite, please pass it along!

RIS is closed today, Monday, September 5.... Meatloaf Monday has taken the day off, and we'll see you tomorrow for Paris Bistro Tuesday! We wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday.