Wine week reminder: DC Wine Week festivities started yesterday, but many of the events run through Sunday. Vino-centric activities include a keg wine and fall menu tasting at the Coupe on Monday ($20), and Vinoteca’s bocce party on Friday, featuring happy hour pricing. Cost and registration vary by event.
Restaurant week alert: The Village of Shirlington holds its third annual Restaurant Week Monday through Sunday. Deals include a two-course lunch for $12 and $25 three-course dinners at restaurants like Cheesetique and Cafe Pizzaiolo.
Wine dinners: Bourbon Steak hosts two wine dinners this week. Tuesday brings a pairing meal with Mark and Allison Ketcham of Ketcham Estate Vineyards in California’s Russian River Valley starting at 6:30 ($125 per person). On Wednesday, a five-course dinner will showcase rare vintages from Bertani Amarone and other Italian producers. Reservations are $250 per person.
Oktoberfest dinner: Tuesday, sit down to a meal paired with Allagash Brewing Company beers at Ripple. The five-course meal starts and 7 PM and includes autumnal eats such as scallop schnitzel with lamb pastrami and braised pork shank ($65 per person). A representative from the Portland, Maine-based brewery will walk guests through the accompanying beers.
Meet the brewer: Jack Rose hosts Alex Rodriguez, a brewer from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing Company, on Tuesday for a special night of new releases. Admission is free; beers are individually priced.
Taste o’ Texas: Tortilla Coast brings a taste of the Texas State Fair to Capitol Hill through October, dishing up specialties like chicken-fried steak, Frito pie, and barbecue brisket. Homesick Texans can stop in on Wednesday for a costume party (sports jerseys and big hair encouraged), and enjoy fair-style entertainers and $4 Shiners from 5 PM to close.
Oyster beer is back: Port City Brewing Company re-releases 60 barrels of its Revival Stout, an interesting “oyster beer” brewed with War Shore bivalves. Try it at the tasting room on Friday from 5 to 9 alongside freshly shucked oysters—a pint and a half dozen are going for $17.
Craft beer fest: Neighborhood Restaurant Group spots including Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, and Rustico team up for the second annual Snallygaster beer festival, held at Union Market on Saturday from 1 to 6. Expect 200 different brews, from Oktoberfests to cask ales, and fare from Union Market vendors and food trucks. Tickets start at $30.
Turkey day training: Head to Frederick’s Lingfield Farm on Saturday from 2 to 8 for a Thanksgiving “boot camp” led by the Art and Soul team. Chef Wes Morton demonstrates how to properly prepare turkeys, stuffing, cocktails, and more, which guests then dine on during an early outdoor supper. Tickets are $100 per person.
Fall festival: Merrifield’s fall festival happens on Saturday from 11 to 6. In addition to entertainment, crafts, and family activities, you’ll find eats from the likes of Willie’s Po’ Boy food truck, Sea Pearl, and many more.
Mystery dinner: Trummer’s on Main gets into the Halloween spirit by hosting a spooky dinner with theater troupe Entrée Acts on Sunday starting at 6. Solve a murder mystery while dining on a three-course dinner ($70 per person). Dishes include braised short ribs with red pepper grits and a “death by chocolate” dessert.
Fromage 101: This Sunday at 3:30, learn more about fall cheeses at Curd Is the Word, a monthly cheese class at Society Fair. The $48 course includes lessons, cheesy samples, and wine.
Get your tickets now: London-based chefs and cookbook authors Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi head to the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on Monday, October 21 for a discussion of Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, which has been published in the US for the first time. Tickets are $20.
See Also:
Celebrate World Sake Day
Where to Pick Pumpkins and Apples
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
