by Sidnee Michelle
August 14, 2026
The dinner took place at The FARM Institute, a 162-acre working farm and educational center in Edgartown
The Iconoclast Dinner Experience returned to Martha’s Vineyard on Aug. 9 for the seventh annual “The King Is Dead,” bringing chefs, winemakers, and cultural leaders together for an evening celebrating women in the culinary industry and the island’s agricultural community.
Presented by Target, the dinner took place at The FARM Institute, a 162-acre working farm and educational center in Edgartown, Massachusetts.
The farm-to-table experience challenged participating chefs to source ingredients from Martha’s Vineyard, placing sustainability, seasonality, and local agriculture at the center of the menu.
Chef Ting, culinary innovator and founder of Oak Bluffs-based Black Joy Kitchen, served as host chef. Chef Preston Clark, culinary director of Lure Fishbar and Bar Mercer in New York City, served as culinary chair.
Chefs-in-residence Monika Dominguez, chef de cuisine of Shiso in Miami, and India Doris, executive chef and co-owner of Markette in New York City, helped bring the dinner to life. Jahdé Marley, portfolio manager for Zev Rovine Selections in New York, led the wine experience.
Internationally renowned painter Tschabalala Self served as honorary chair, extending the evening’s celebration of women beyond the culinary world and into the arts.
The dinner is part of a larger mission established by Dr. Lezli Levene Harvell, a board-certified pediatric dentist who founded The Iconoclast Dinner Experience 11 years ago to increase visibility for diverse culinary and beverage professionals.
“For seven years, this dinner has brought together rising female chefs and Martha’s Vineyard’s farming community to create a celebration of place, seasonality, and innovation,” Harvell said.
The experience also carries a philanthropic component. Net proceeds from Iconoclast Dinner Experience events support international students from Jamaica and sub-Saharan African countries attending Spelman College. Under Harvell’s leadership, the organization has raised more than $150,000 for international Spelman students.
On Martha’s Vineyard, that broader mission translated into an evening where food, farming, art, and philanthropy shared the same table.
RELATED CONTENT: Sisters On The Vineyard: Honoring Heritage, Improving Black Women’s Health
