Food

Table to Table: This Week in Food Events

Every week we fill you in on our favorite wine and food events.

Monday, November 17

Drink organic tonight at the Reef in Adams Morgan. A five-course dinner will be paired with beers from the Peak Organic Brewing Company. Brewmaster John Cadoux and local representative Tim Adams will be on hand to introduce each pairing, including a seared duck breast with sauteed arugula, duck cracklings, and pomegranate molasses, with a glass of pomegranate-wheat beer with açai juice. The dinner starts at 7 and costs $65 per person. Call 202-518-3800 for reservations.

Tuesday, November 18
Is your sweet tooth lightening your wallet? No problem. ACKC (2003-A Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria) in Del Ray is hosting a free chocolate tasting and open house featuring J. Chocolatier’s fall collection. Stop by from 6:30 to 8:30 to sample the goods. RSVP required: call 703-635-7917.

Need a new cookbook? At the National Press Club’s Book Fair, stroll by the chefs’ tables for free food tastings and book signings. Local chef José Andrés will be there with his new book, Made in Spain, as will Bon Appétit editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild and former Kennedy family chef Neil Connolly. Cookbook authors and chefs Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, Laurie Forster, Jose Garces, Domenica Marchetti, Matthew Mead, and Suvir Saran will also be there. The event costs $5, with proceeds to benefit the Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library. 5:30 to 8:30 at the National Press Building (529 14th St., NW). For more information, visit press.org.

 

Wednesday, November 19
TasteDC’s Mastering Spirits series continues tonight with Single Malt 101. Joshua London, a contributor for the Malt Advocate and Washington Examiner, will lead the class through tastings of single-malt Scotch whisky from 7 to 9 at the Whittemore House (1526 New Hampshire Ave., NW). The event costs $75 per person; for reservations, call 202-244-3700.

Thursday, November 20
Join the French Wine Society, Giramondo Wine Adventures, Washington Wine Academy, and the International Club of Washington, DC, for a Beaujolais Nouveau celebration at the Embassy Suites (1250 22nd St., NW) at 6:30. The happy-hour tasting—$17 for members and $19 for nonmembers—includes appetizers and a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, with additional tastings priced per glass. VIP tickets—$53 for members and $59 for nonmembers—include tastings of Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villages, Crus of Beaujolais and appetizers. Call 202-466-0808 or visit frenchwinesociety.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

Thursday, November 20, through Sunday, November 23

Celebrate the debut of Beaujolais Nouveau with classic French dining at Bastille (1201 N. Royal St.) in Old Town Alexandria. Dine á là carte or with a prix-fixe tasting menu. The six-course 'Christophe and Michelle' tasting menu costs $59 with an additional $35 for wine pairings. The four-course Gourmand tasting menu is $45 with a $25 pairing option. Offerings include a twelve-hour braised pork belly in a spiced-beer sauce and grilled rib chop with sweet-potato purée and sautéed Brussels sprouts. Call 703-519-3776 for reservations.

Friday, November 21

Chef Bryan Voltaggio has created a seven-course white-truffle tasting menu at Volt (228 N. Market St., Frederick). The earthy and garlicky truffles come from Italy’s Piedmont region. The dinner costs $150 per person with an additional $50 for wine pairings. Seatings will be offered at 6 and 8:30; call 301-696-8658 for reservations.

The American Institute of Wine and Food presents an afternoon with chef Thomas Keller of French Laundry, Per Se, and Bouchon, to discuss his new book, Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide, at the Mandarin Oriental (1330 Maryland Ave., SW). Following a Champagne reception at 4:30 with hors d’oeuvres and canapés, Keller will be joined by Eric Ziebold, former French Laundry chef de cuisine and current CityZen executive chef, and cookbook author Michael Ruhlman for a discussion on sous-vide cooking. Tickets cost $95 person; visit aiwf.org for tickets and information.

Saturday, November 22

Need help with your holiday dessert? David Guas, former pastry chef for DC Coast, Ceiba, and Acadiana, will lead a holiday cooking class on cakes and pies this morning from 10 to noon. The class will take place at the chef’s residence and costs $125 per person. For reservations, call David at 703-772-1085 or e-mail damngoodsweets@aol.com. Hurry up, there are only three spots left!

Sunday, November 23

Tired of sweets? Bring on the cheese. Cheesetique (2411 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria) is hosting a cheese tasting of all blues, rich and robust, from around the world tonight at 6. The cheeses will be paired with port and Sauternes. The event costs $35 per person; call 703-706-5300 for reservations.

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