Join the beer flock: Newish Glover Park spot Arcuri hosts a Goose Island Brewery dinner on Monday at 6:30. The four-course meal is paired with different beers for $45 per person (including tax and gratuity).
Happy birthday, Tonic: The Mount Pleasant neighborhood bistro celebrates its tenth anniversary with a weeklong lineup of deals and festivities. Start on Monday with free skeeball and half-price burgers, followed by free bottles of wine on Wednesday (with the purchase of two entrées) and all-night Halloween happy hour on Thursday.
Top Chef reunion: Three local Top Chef-testants discuss their experiences on the show and the meaning of local eating at the National Museum of Natural History on Tuesday at 6:45. Hear from Art Smith, Mike Isabella, and Spike Mendelsohn before sampling their cuisine at a post-seminar reception. Tickets are $45.
Sudsy supper: Brooklyn Brewery teams up with Zaytinya for a beer dinner on Tuesday at 7:15 with brewery founder Steve Hindy. The five-course meal includes various pairings, and is priced at $75 per person.
Chefs raise awareness: The second Chefs for Equality gala returns to the Ritz-Carlton Washington DC on Wednesday at 6:30 in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign. Sample offerings from a long list of local chefs and mixologists, and then head to the after-party at Kapnos from 10 to 1. Tickets are $150 and $50, respectively.
Cheap (or expensive) salad: SweetGreen opens its McLean branch on Wednesday at 6707 Old Dominion Drive, and offers a “pay what you want” promotion from 11 to 4. Whether you give $1 or $100 for a kale Caesar, all proceeds go toward FreshFarm Markets.
Happy Halloween: The spookiest eve of the year lands on Thursday, so check out our Halloween Guide for all sorts of ghoulish fun. On the foodie front: cocktail parties, pumpkin-picking, recipes, and more.
Truffle dinner: Indulge in white truffles in a variety of dishes at Al Dente on Friday, with a late-ish tasting dinner at 9:30. Limited seats go for $250 per person, including wine pairings*.
Movember first: Del Frisco’s Grille gets in the Movember spirit with a mustache-themed party on Friday from 3 to 7. While men (and some women) across the country start growing their facial hair for various men’s health issues, you can snack on shaved-steak sandwiches, “mo-shroom” flatbreads, and more. Look for other mustachioed promos throughout the month.
Grand reopening: The Heights recently closed for a revamp, and reopens on Friday with a variety of weekend deals. Head over on the inaugural day for all-night happy hour in the bar and lounge, followed by half-price beer and wine on the 80-seat garden patio on Saturday and Sunday from 2 until close.
Oyster fest: Take a short day trip to St. Michaels, Maryland, on Saturday for OysterFest at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum from 10 to 4. You’ll find plenty of bay bivalves and other seafood, along with cooking demonstrations, an oyster stew competition, harvesting demos, boat rides, and more. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for kids.
Culinary tour: Metro Cooking DC returns to the convention center on Saturday and Sunday with a variety of culinary activities. You’ll find fare from local restaurants in the grand tasting pavilion, presentations from television toques like The Chew’s Jason Roberts and cookbook authors such as Hugh Acheson, demos, and more. Tickets start at $24.50 ($12.50 for kids).
Bring the kids: The Kids Food Festival goes down Saturday and Sunday at Union Market, raising awareness for childhood obesity. Activities include hands-on cooking classes, demos, fitness workshops, and more. Admission is free, with $25 tickets available for various classes.
Cask love: Mad Fox Brewing Company brings back its cask ale festival on Saturday at the Falls Church Market Square from noon to 5. Come for 30 different cask ales; stay for eats and live music. Admission is free, with sets of six tasting tickets for $20 (additional tickets are $2 each).
*This post has been updated from a previous version.
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.
