by Travis Wolfe
Washingtonian teamed up with Chubb for an evening of dining and conversation at the inaugural installment of Talk & Taste. Attendees arrived to sample bites of local restaurant’s most signature dishes while engaging in a one-on-one conversation about the restaurant scene moderated by Washingtonian’s own Anna Spiegel.
On Thursday, November 7, attendees convened at the Gathering Place in Clarksville, MD for a conversation with restaurateurs and siblings Ken and Aki Ballogdajan of Kenaki Sushi. Guest listened about life in a restaurant family, and how doing so gave them an appreciation for the things around them.
“We have this conversation a lot,” said Aki Ballogdajan. “Most importantly how it taught us to be resourceful problem solvers. Something we’ve taken to heart in our everyday lives.” Ken Bollogajan reflected back about his first job in the kitchen. “When I was young, I was a dishwasher. I wanted something and my dad made we work for it.” He went on to explain how this initial taste of the restaurant scene helped drive his culinary passions.
On Wednesday, November 13, attendees in Arlington, VA gathered at The View of DC to hear Montgomery County local Sahil Rahman of Rasa talk about being the new fast casual restaurant on the scene. Rahman explains, ”When I was growing up, most people had a simplistic idea of what Indian food is…It’s incredible to see this huge evolution, in particular Indian cuisine in DC, where the West is engaging on what the East has to offer.”
Chubb’s VP & Manager of Personal Lines, Donna Vail, opened up both evenings with welcome remarks that invited attendees to raise their expectations of traditional insurance companies while learning more about what Chubb could provide.
Thank you to the local restaurants who serving up unique bites:
Columbia, MD: The Ale House, Cupcakes & Creamery, Cazbar, Hudson Coastal, Kenaki Sushi
Arlington, VA: Barley Mac, American Eats Tavern, Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar & Eatery, Rasa, Ambar Clarendon and Ice Cream Jubilee.
Thank you to our sponsor to Chubb for making these events possible.
Thank you to our partner: Bialek’s Music
Photography by Evy Mages and Kristoffer Tripplaar