If you didn’t get your fill of pastels, bow ties, or good
old-fashioned horse racing debauchery at the Virginia Gold Cup earlier
this month, we have good news for you. Saturday’s racing of the
Preakness Stakes brings yet another opportunity to don outrageous
hats
and head to
Baltimore to “get your preak on” (their pun, not ours). But if
making it to Charm City doesn’t seem feasible, we’ve found
several local bars, restaurants, and even a charitable
organization hosting viewing parties this Saturday.
Get your brunch fix at
Graffiato with a new menu and a specialty Preakness cocktail. Sip a Moroccan Julep in honor of Moroccan mixologist
Taha Ismail, as you nibble cinnamon knots,
polenta meatballs, or a breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, potato,
cheddar cheese, and sunnyside-up
egg) and watch to see if I’ll Have Another really has what it
takes to score the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Don your red, black, and yellow and race on over to
Virtue Feed & Grain to watch the Preakness on any one of the restaurant’s ten screens. Indulge in the spot’s version of a Black-Eyed Susan–a “hoptail” prepared
with beer, vodka, and pineapple–paired with chef
Ryan Wheeler‘s take on a hot brown: roast
turkey, crispy bacon, and cheddar cheese sauce on a Pullman loaf from
Society Fair. Get into
the betting spirit with a friendly competition to guess the
winning steed for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Restaurant
Eve.
If you’re feeling charitable and itching to see horses in person, head to
Morven Park International Equestrian Center
in Leesburg for a party benefiting Loudoun Therapeutic Riding. From
4:30 to 10 guests can dance the night away while enjoying
a live telecast of the race, live amateur horse racing, and
several auctions, including a signed Capitals jersey and trips
to tropical locales. Wear your most festive head topper to
participate in the hat contest. Tickets are $100 (available
online)
and include an open bar (Black-Eyed Susans, wine from local
vineyards) and eats from restaurants such as Vintage 50 and Tuskies.
Satisfy both your inner child and your outer adult with a boozy Black-Eyed Susan snow cone on the roof of
Jack Rose Dining
Saloon.
An as-yet unannounced Baltimore-themed punch and cocktail will also be
served; if beer is more your style, enjoy $2 off
all draft beers and $5 Flying Dog beers. All three TVs will be
showing the race, and serious racing fans will be given forms
to track the horses.
For a relaxing Preakness viewing experience, try out the $7 mint juleps and enjoy the race in peace at
Smith Commons, or head to
Nellie’s Sports Bar, which will offer $5 Black-Eyed Susans.
In Baltimore but unable to score tickets to the main
event? Don’t fret; watch the spectacle in the comfort of the
air-conditioned
Wit & Wisdom.
A Preakness-themed menu will include crabcakes, fried chicken, crab
chips and dip, pit-beef sandwiches, and shrimp cocktail.
The mixologist’s take on a Black-Eyed Susan will be the drink
du jour. Dress in your finest racing attire; the fun starts
at 3.
