dLeña Celebrates the Earth with Viva Abejas Campaign this Spring
Embrace the importance of bees with Richard Sandoval Hospitality from March 22 to April 24
Washington, DC—dLeña by Chef Richard Sandoval is excited to announce the launch of its Viva Abejas campaign this spring. From Tuesday, March 22, through Sunday, April 24, guests are invited to indulge in the earth’s harvests at the Mount Vernon Triangle modern Mexican concept.
One in every three bites of food depends on bees for pollination. Chef Richard Sandoval aims to celebrate this integral part of our food cycle by taking a 360 approach with food, signature activations, retail elements, cultural education and philanthropy. Richard Sandoval Hospitality (RSH) hopes to demonstrate the importance of bees by centering the campaign around Pachamama, the Incan goddess of Earth, planting, harvesting and fertility.
dLeña has partnered with Mexico City-based illustrator and artist, Lourdes Villagómez, to create vibrant custom pieces that highlight the heart of the campaign, the Queen Bee. Villagómez says, “I wanted to share the vibrant color palette I use to represent my culture as well as some new colors like the dark greens that represent the freshness of nature with Pachamama. In my work, I love using symbolism inside the main subject to tell the story behind the piece, so I encourage you to try and find the symbols within my bee images that reference Pachamama.”
The Viva Abejas logo ties in several staples of the campaign. The brightly colored bee has leaves, embracing hands, and a globe to convey a sense of connectedness. Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem, which RSH highlights throughout the artwork, food, drinks, and retail items.
This bold color palette also translates to the food and drink specials. Enjoy the charred crispy tostada with smashed avocado, bee pollen, cilantro espuma, and EVOO, and the avocado panna cotta with lavender crumble, blood orange sauce, and honeycomb ice cream. Both tantalizing dishes are bee-centric and plant based.
The cocktail offerings include The Queen Bee with bourbon, sherry, thyme-honey syrup, lemon juice, and angostura bitters, a Honey Lavender Margarita with tequila, fresh lime juice, honey lavender simple syrup, violet syrup liqueur, and triple sec, and the Pachamama with mezcal, lavender and citrus infused honey, and lemon juice.
Guests can purchase house-made nutrient capsules, filled with good-for-you superfoods for a fun and healthy experience. Wildflower seed packets will also be available so guests can bring the campaign home and plant their own flowers to directly help the bees. Other retail merchandise includes biodegradable tote bags and custom embroidered patches. All of the retail items offered boast vibrant colors with bees at the forefront. Richard Sandoval Hospitality will make a substantial donation to the Help Save the Bees Foundation and will host a contest for guests to participate in bee-saving initiatives.
Help Save the Bees Foundation President Laurie Yarborough said, “The Help Save the Bees Foundation enthusiastically partners with Richard Sandoval Hospitality and its beautiful ‘Viva Abejas’ campaign to raise awareness of the importance of bees in conjunction with Earth Day. We share Chef Sandoval’s passion for bees and the good work they do as a critical link in our food chain.”
dLeña is located at 476 K Street NW, Suite D, Washington, DC 20001. Dinner hours are 5pm to 10pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5pm to 11pm Friday and Saturday. Brunch is offered at dLeña from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays, with the last seating at 2pm. For more information on the Viva Abejas campaign, including donations to the Help Save the Bees Foundation, please visit richardsandoval.com/viva-abejas.
About dLeña
dLeña Wood-Fire Mexican Cocina & Mezcaleria is a modern Mexican restaurant located in the heart of Washington D.C’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. The chef-driven concept proudly offers a fresh take on Mexican cuisine and embraces their heritage and culture through an elevated dining experience. dLeña and dLeña ROJA were designed by PETERMAX Co. to evoke a divine Mexican escape using a blend of old-world forms and refined modern materials. For more information on dLeña, visit dlenadc.com. For additional updates, follow dLeña on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
About Richard Sandoval Hospitality
Richard Sandoval Hospitality is a leading restaurant group founded by Mexican-born chef/restaurateur Richard Sandoval. Known for offering guests an unparalleled culinary experience, this internationally recognized contemporary Latin restaurant group successfully owns and operates over 45 restaurant concepts around the globe. US restaurant locations span 10 states and the District of Columbia – as well as internationally in 7 countries including Costa Rica, Mexico, Nevis, Qatar, Serbia, Turkey and the UAE.
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