dLeña by Chef Richard Sandoval (476 K Street NW, Suite D) is thrilled to announce the return of its annual Viva Abejas campaign this spring.
From Tuesday, March 26 until Monday, April 22 (Earth Day), guests are invited to indulge in bee-centric dishes and drinks at the modern Mexican concept in Mount Vernon Triangle.
One in every three bites of food depends on bees for pollination. Similar to previous years, Chef Richard Sandoval aims to celebrate this integral part of the food cycle with a 360 degree approach to food, signature activations, cultural education, philanthropy, and more.
In addition, Richard Sandoval Hospitality is aiming to educate 60,000 students this year by deploying their own teams to work hand-in-hand with Title 1 schools around the country.
Their custom designed in-classroom lesson plan was developed with educators and curriculum experts at Slow Food USA to best tailor the message of Viva Abejas to the earliest of learners.
In 2023, Chef Sandoval published a children’s book, Viva Abejas, to teach young learners about the importance of bees to the food system and how they can help.
To help with cultural inclusivity, the book is now also available in Spanish as both a hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
Chef Sandoval toured the US reading his Viva Abejas books to elementary children, followed by a cooking class. 100% of the proceeds from the book directly benefit the World Bee Project, whose work on the world’s first Global Bee Health program is one dLeña wholeheartedly supports.
Chef Sandoval has crafted specialized food and beverage offerings focused on bees, utilizing sustainably obtained honey, pollen, and other bee-derived ingredients.
dLeña’s bee-centric specials include Duck Confit Tacos ($21) with agave honey, cilantro, romesco sauce and pickled vegetables on blue corn tortillas, the Margarita Royale ($18) with tequila blanco, honey, passion fruit cordial, lime, bee pollen and an edible flower, plus the Golden Mezcal OId Fashioned ($20) with mezcal, nixta, honey, aztec, chocolate bitters, orange bitters and chocolate.
Finish off a delicious meal with a slice of Honey Vanilla Cheesecake ($12), made with macerated citrus, honeycomb, mint, mixed berries, flambéed grand marnier, and topped with honeycomb.
Guests ordering any Viva Abejas food or beverage special will receive wildflower seed packets to plant flowers at home, directly aiding the bees.
dLeña by Chef Richard Sandoval is located at 476 K Street NW, Suite D, Washington, DC 20001. Lunch hours are 11am to 3pm Monday through Friday. Dinner hours are 5pm to 10pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5pm to 11pm Friday and Saturday.
Bottomless Brunch is offered at dLeña from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Happy hour is available 5pm to 7pm Monday through Friday only at the bar.
Reservations are available until 30 minutes before the restaurant closes.
Visit ROJA, dLeña’s downstairs mezcal lounge Wednesdays through Saturdays for an additional hour of beverage service. For more information on dLeña’s Viva Abejas campaign or to make reservations, visit dlenadc.com.