For this month’s newsletter, we wanted to do something a little different — and a little more intentional.

At our core, DWD has always been about conversation. What happens when you bring the right people to the table, create the right energy, and allow space for something real to unfold. This time, we’re extending that idea beyond the dinner itself.

For the first time, we opened up our newsletter to voices outside of our own — inviting writers and storytellers to share their point of view with our community. Because the truth is, the stories shaping this industry deserve more depth, more nuance, and more space.

We’re excited to feature a piece from Kayla Curtis Evans, the creative editor of Hypebeast, whose perspective is deeply rooted in her womanhood & consistent desire to build community through her cultural lens.

This is just the beginning. Moving forward, we’ll continue opening up the newsletter to new voices, new minds, and new conversations that deserve a seat at the table. If you’re a writer with something to say — we’re listening.

Now, let’s get into it.

With love,

Desmond, Ramses, & Kayla

I was speaking with friends recently about our experiences with food and how we treat meals throughout our day. One mentioned a desire to slow down and savor meals, but that he often found trouble doing so because, at times, nourishment feels like a chore. Life in the city moves quickly — sometimes I’m going through the motions of my day well before my brain has had time to catch up with external stimuli. Some weeks feel longer than others, full of work meetings, deadlines, and obligations. But I’ve always been of the belief that food should be fun.

Most of my favorite memories have occurred around a table as we break bread. When I was younger, I was a bit of a picky eater. I undertook what my friends and I jokingly label a “beige diet,” which consisted of mostly chicken nuggets, noodles, and bread in any and every form. In 2019, I studied for half a year in Copenhagen, and my horizons were broadened, my tastes forever changed.

During my eight months in Northern Europe, I traveled to 9 other countries — France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Each came along with its own rich cuisine — I indulged in succulent homemade pastas and ragus in Italy, fresh smørrebrød spreads sourced from the sea in Copenhagen, and cheese galore in Switzerland. But when I think back on those formative days, the meals themselves sort of blend together. It’s the moments between the meals that have stuck with me, well after I folded up my napkin and left the table.

A meal is a personal and sacred experience. It’s highly intimate, and one of the only experiences where strangers can show up with no prior context of each other at all, and leave brimming with both new learnings and flavors. Meals like this have been one of my favorite parts of living in New York City. I started freelancing at V Magazine in 2022, following a meal I had where I sat next to a previous editor at the indie publication. I bonded with some of my closest friends here after we made a routine of picking up Tompkins Square Bagels — which must be oozing with cheese or else they’re not up to par — taking them to the park, and eating them while basking in the sun.

But beyond creating my own community around culinary excursions, I’ve been lucky enough to observe the colorful mosaic of a community that shares the beauty of these rituals with others. And at the heart of a lot of these mosaics are women. Women have a natural penchant for emotional expression; it’s woven into our very being. So when it comes to food, I’ve absorbed a verve for life through meals curated and crafted by women. The experience sometimes feels even more sacred when I know someone has crafted it who I can relate to — I can taste their emotions and feel their care radiate through each carefully prepared dish.

I think women possess an unspoken language. Food is another medium through which we can convey that language. I may not fully understand your experience, your hardships, or your inner workings, but inherently, I feel connected to you because I can comprehend the space you take up in the world — and the courage it takes to do so. Preparing a meal and placing it on a silk-cloth-laden tablescape is a fervent protest in a world that so badly wants us to turn our backs on each other out of spite. Sometimes, all it takes is the sentiment of, “I may not fully understand you, but stay for a slice of banana bread and I’ll try,” to bring a whole new universe of possibilities. Sometimes you need to savor the meal to soak up the full value of the moment, which extends well beyond just a full stomach.

Tucked away in Williamsburg, Rude Mouth is one of NYC’s newest wine bars — but already feels like it’s been part of the neighborhood. Founded by Ava Trilling (of Four Horsemen), the space takes over a longtime local staple and reimagines it into something more intimate, more personal, and a little less pretentious. What we love most is the intention behind it — wine here isn’t about knowing the right words or ordering the “right” bottle, it’s about how it makes you feel. The space leans cozy, slightly chaotic in the best way, and built for nights that start with a quick glass and somehow turn into hours of conversation. With a rotating selection of thoughtful wines and simple bites designed to share, it’s the kind of place that reminds you that going out doesn’t need to be complicated to be good — it just needs the right people, the right energy, and a table to gather around.

But don’t take our word for it… go check it out yourself and let us know what you think. #THISISNOTANAD

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We want to hear from YOU! What’s your deepest secret? Where should we go next?! Want to know how you can be involved?! Tell us all of the above HERE.

“Dine With Dez”, is conceptualized by Desmond Sam an experiential event producer, publicist, and entrepreneur from NYC with co-producer-partnership and experiential creative, Ramses Rubio. This collaboration began simply as an idea to elevate how we experience each other. We’ve noticed that it wasn’t nightlife as in clubs or parties that stimulated us in comparison to breaking bread with like-minded creatives. As we start with these intimate installments we will continue to build our community and broaden the conversations needed for a brighter tomorrow!

To learn more and get a chance to be a part of our dinners/events follow us on our

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To contact us directly email all questions and inquiries to [email protected]