Food Network Star Aarti Sequeira to Headline Culinary Programs at Monticello, November 13 and 14

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is pleased to announce Food Network star, cookbook author, journalist, and television producer Aarti Sequeira as the next featured chef in the historic site’s Culinary Diplomacy at Monticello series. Presented in partnership with The Culinary Diplomacy Project, this ongoing series features prominent chefs, culinary experts, and historians exploring the intersection of food, history, and culture.  

Inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s legendary dinners renowned for their cuisine and conversation, this series shares how food has been—and continues to be—a bridge for cultural understanding and communication.

“Thomas Jefferson understood that breaking bread is what connects us,” said Dr. Jane Kamensky, president and CEO of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. “With our Culinary Diplomacy at Monticello series, we hope to continue this tradition of using food as a tool to facilitate the exchange of ideas, passions, and hopes for our shared future.” 

Guests can participate in two ways. On November 13, join Chef Sequeira for a Culinary Conversation at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center at Monticello. This program will feature Chef Sequeira discussing Jefferson-era recipes and her own global culinary experiences. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a dish designed by Sequeira that draws inspiration from the event’s theme. Tickets are available here. 

On November 14, guests are invited to On the Menu, an unforgettable evening of dinner and discussion featuring a three-course meal meticulously crafted by Chef Sequeira that will include Monticello-grown ingredients. This intimate dining experience offers a rare opportunity to explore history through food, all while enjoying breathtaking views from Montalto, Jefferson’s high mountain. A small group experience including a pre-reception with Chef Sequeira and a signed copy of “Dining at Monticello” is also available. Learn more and purchase tickets here. 

Culinary Diplomacy images and assets available for download here. 

About The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, the foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues by engaging audiences with Jefferson’s world and ideas and inviting them to experience the power of place at Monticello and on its website. Monticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a United Nations World Heritage Site and a Site of Conscience. As a private, nonprofit organization, the foundation’s regular operating budget does not receive ongoing government support to fund its twofold mission of preservation and education. For information, visit monticello.org.