Monday, October 12
Find an ATM and head to the Source to celebrate its second anniversary with a five-course wine dinner hosted by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck (and yes, we’re told he’s actually going to be in the kitchen). In honor of the late American vintner Robert Mondavi, his widow, Margrit, will pair their wines with the secret menu. The evening also features a cocktail reception with wines from the Virginia-based Kluge Estate Winery. 7 PM; reserve your $195 seat by calling 202-637-6100.

Tuesday, October 13
When we think of the Pacific Northwest, we think grunge, lots of rain, and coffee. But the region also produces some pretty impressive Pinots, Cabernets, and Syrahs. Come learn what makes the wines of Oregon and Washington unique, and taste four to seven varietals with local specialist Mike Canter’s hourlong class at Vinoteca. Tickets for the event, which begins at 7, are $35 a person. Call 202-332-9463 for reservations.

Monday, October 5

It’s all red meat and Redskins at Morton’s tonight. Skins players will be the center of an informal meet-and-greet at the beef joint’s Georgetown location to talk to fans and sign memorabilia. The players arrive at 7:30, and the event is free. For more information, including the names of the attending athletes—which should be available today—call 202-342-6258.

Tuesday, October 6

If you’re a fan of Lebanese Taverna’s shawarma and hummus, here’s your chance to learn how to create those Middle Eastern flavors at home. Arlington's Lebanese Taverna Market is hosting a hands-on cooking class appropriate for all cooking levels. It will include wine, appetizers, and dinner. The class, $60 a person, runs from 6:45 to 9:30. Call 703-841-1562 for reservations and more.
 

Spotlighting locally sourced ingredients on restaurant menus is nothing new, but they’re the highlight of the Virginia hunt country’s Celebrate the Harvest week. Now through October 4, restaurants in Middleburg, The Plains, and Upperville will create specials that focus on homegrown ingredients.

Monday, September 28
Loosen your tie at Morton’s steakhouse in Georgetown with a casual evening of Italian-wine sampling and appetizers. This installment of the restaurant’s “Uncorked” series runs from 6 to 7:30. Tickets—$50, including tax and gratuity—can be reserved here.

Tuesday, September 29
In the mood for even more wine from Italy? You won’t have to wait long or travel far from Monday’s suggestion—neighbor Cafe Milano hosts a wine-pairing dinner tonight at 6:30. Linger over five courses of sea-inspired dishes in one of Washington’s top power haunts. $100 per person (limited seating available). Call 202-333-6183 for reservations.

Former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni is at Politics and Prose (5015 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-364-1919) to talk about his candid, terrifically funny new memoir, Born Round, in which he reveals his lifetime of food issues and the ways his job as a food critic helped him over come them. Adding to the fun: Interviewing him will be pal and fellow Times writer Maureen Dowd. The free reading starts at 7.

Saturday, September 26

Das Best Oktoberfest

Nosh on sour beef, potato pancakes, and a variety of sausages at this outdoor festival at National Harbor (137 National Plaza, National Harbor; 800-830-3976). Organizers took a cue from last year’s long lines and added more food stands, more beer stations, and more staff. This is the only Oktoberfest event where you can sample every German beer available in the state of Maryland—over 100 will be on hand. Tickets—which include a souvenir tasting mug and nine beer tokens (six if you buy at the door)—cost $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Show up sporting lederhosen or a dirndl, and you’ll score both German street cred and a few extra beer tokens. 2 to 8.

PS 7’s Cooking Class “Beer and Brats”

Feel like cooking at home? Discover the tricks of the sausage-making trade when PS 7’s head chef Peter Smith invites meat lovers into his kitchen. Smith, assisted by bartender Gina Chersevani and pastry chef Leon Baker, will demonstrate how to prepare bratwurst from scratch. The Philly-based Victory Brewing Company will distribute samples of its malted beverages. The class, $65 per person, goes from 1 to 3:30. Participants must be 21 or older. Call 202-742-8550 for reservations.

Call it a form of withdrawal: We just can’t get enough of those restaurant weeks. And this week, there’s yet another promotion to make room for. Running now through Saturday, September 26, Turkish Restaurant Week spotlights seven restaurants serving $25 four-course menus filled with traditional dishes such as sigara borek and hunkar begendi. This week might mean a tough call for bargain hunters: Will you opt for a Bethesda hot spot—Bethesda Row is putting on its own version of Restaurant Week through Sunday—or Middle Eastern eats?

The official Bethesda Restaurant Week happened earlier this summer, but Bethesda Row, the glossy new street mall of upscale shops and restaurants, is putting on a promotion of its own. Today through Sunday, September 27, nine restaurants—including Redwood, Assaggi, and Lebanese Taverna—will offer two-course lunches for $12 and three-course dinners for $30. The menus aren’t as generous as the ones you’ll find during the official Restaurant Week (you could eat your way through plenty of house salads)—but check out the menus below.