Monday, November 10
Celebrate the fall harvest at FreshFarm Markets’ annual Farmland Feast at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. (1150 22nd St., NW). From 6 to 10, chow down on a five-course autumn dinner, and bid on culinary adventures and exotic getaways during a live silent auction. Dinner costs $200 per person; for reservations, call 202-362-8889.

Tuesday, November 11
Can’t wait for the Top Chef premiere on Wednesday? Check out DC’s own competition: the 2008 Capital Food Fight. Tonight at 6, watch 2007 winner Barton Seaver (formerly of Hook and Tackle Box) defend his title against Stephen Lewandowski (Tribeca Grill), David Deshales (Michel Richard Citronelle), Tony Conte (Oval Room), and Peter Smith (PS 7’s). The contest will be judged by Dave Lieberman of the Food Network and Hell’s Kitchen winner Chef Rock. The event will also feature tastings from 50 area restaurants. The cost is $175, with proceeds benefiting DC Central Kitchen. The battle will take place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW). For more information, visit capitalfoodfight.org.

Wednesday, November 12
Watching Top Chef tonight? Get out of your house and head to Good Stuff Eatery (303 Pennsylvania Ave., SE) for a watching party. At 10:30 PM, vote for the first “cheftestant” who’ll get kicked off—winners get free milkshakes. Good Stuff Eatery chef/owner and former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn will be blogging live on Twitter from the restaurant. For more information, call 202-543-8222.

Thursday, November 13
Poste Moderne Brasserie (555 Eighth St., NW) kicks off its new wine-dinner series, “Eat and Drink Local,” with Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard. The six-course tasting menu includes dishes such as veal sweatbreads with kaboacha squash, salsify, and sparkling-cider foam, paired with a 2006 Albemarle Viognier; and wild Alaskan king salmon with roasted-garlic grits, mushroom salad, and baby leeks, paired with a 2004 Albemarle Simply Red. The tasting dinner costs $85; 6 PM. Call 202-783-6060 or e-mail daniel.lobsenz@postebrasserie.com for reservations.
 
Friday, November 14
It’s time for cider happy hour again at Equinox (818 Connecticut Ave., NW). From 5 to 7, try a cocktail ($10 to $11) made with warm Shenandoah Valley apple cider, and munch on free appetizers including pumpkin fritters, sweet-potato pot stickers, and venison chili. For more information, call 202-331-8118.

Saturday, November 15
Celebrate the opening of MallowDrama’s Cupcake Theater (11160 E. South Lakes Dr., Reston) from 1 to 5 with free tastings and door prizes. This new Reston shop operates out of Dinner Zen and features six daily cupcake selections and one vegan choice. MallowDrama also specializes in chocolate truffles and cakes. For additional information, call 703-758-1474 or visit mallowdrama.com.

Above Bacchus Wine Cellar (1635 Wisconsin Ave., NW), the Bacchus Loft Nights series presents a tasting of Bordeaux and California reds. Ryan Wegman, formerly a wine buyer for Dean & DeLuca, will lead the tasting, which will help participants determine whether their palates are those of nuance-oriented traditionalists or big-fruit progressives. The tasting begins at 6:30 and costs $25 per person. Call 202-337-2003 for reservations.

Sunday, November 16
Cleveland Park’s Dino (3435 Connecticut Ave., NW) is hosting a white-truffle dinner. The seven-course meal includes ten grams of white truffle served over five of the courses, including a raw-porcini salad and risotto with milk-fed rotisserie maialino. Two dishes will also feature burgundy truffles, a close relative to the black truffle. The meal costs $140 per person. Flights of wine will also be available for an additional $49 (“Damned Good”) and $99 (“Even Better”). Call 202-686-2966 while you can for reservations, because the event is filling up. Open daily for dinner.

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