Sweetgreen salads are, naturally, among the food offerings you'll find at Sweetlife. Photograph courtesy of Sweetlife.
Make Mom’s day: Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12, but you better get planning as soon as possible if you want to be as on top of things as Mom. Check out our 2013 Mother’s Day Guide, which includes a rundown of brunches plus our own editors’ picks for mom-day meals and a few fun suggestions for activities that go beyond the typical eggs Benedict.
Where to get your mint julep fix around town. Image via iStock.
The “greatest two minutes in sports” goes down this Saturday, May 4. It might be the shortest race in the Triple Crown, but the Kentucky Derby always inspires festivities that include free-flowing booze, elaborate hats, and swanky fetes. Plenty of Washington bars and restaurants are celebrating, and we found a party for (almost) every mood.
Maple hosts a four-course wine dinner on Tuesday. Photograph by Erik Uecke.
Tour Burgundy: Bastille chef-owners Christophe and Michelle Poteaux offer a mini tour of Burgundies at a five-course dinner on Monday, featuring bottles selected by sommelier Mark Slater. The meal costs $119 per person (or $75 without wine pairings).
701 Restaurant is just one of many places serving up delicious Mother's Day brunch around Washington. Photograph by Chris Campbell.
Mother’s Day is just a couple of weeks away—on Sunday, May 12. That means it’s time to book the all-important brunch for the occasion. Below you’ll find the details on 29 restaurants serving a special midday meal in Washington. Book early, and volunteer to be the designated driver—the lady who changed your diapers and put up with you through your terrible teens deserves as many mimosas as she pleases.
Feeling fishy this week? Head to BlackSalt (pictured above) during Dining Out for Life, or the National Aquarium for a sustainable seafood feast. Photograph by Scott Suchman.
Night market: Start the week off by browsing through Zaytinya’s Greek Easter night market, which has its last day on Monday from 6 to 10. You’ll find complimentary mezze, a special ouzo cocktail, and purchasable products like Greek honey, olives, and oils.
French wine dinner: Head to 2941 on Wednesday at 7 for a four-course dinner featuring old-vine Pouilly Fuissé and Chassagne-Montrachet wines. Winemakers from both vineyards and an importer answer questions and introduce the varietals, which are paired with dishes from chef Bertrand Chemel like lightly smoked and slow-cooked salmon with shaved potatoes and green garlic ($220 per person, all-inclusive).
Get your fill of crawfish at Bayou Bakery’s inaugural boil this weekend. Photograph via Shutterstock.
Tax Day: Feeling less than flush this tax season? Restaurants and bars are chipping in with deals to relieve your mental and financial burden on Monday. Check out our roundup of specials, from half-off cocktails at BLT Steak to free whiskey at Jack Rose.
Post-Tax Day: Alexandria’s Union Street Public House extends tax-centric festivities to Tuesday with a post-Tax Day, six-course beer dinner featuring Port City brews ($55 per person). Growlers will be available for carryout.
Birthday patio: Chez Billy turned one last week, and celebrates with a 50-seat patio and beer garden. Pints of Stella are only $1 Tuesday through Thursday from 5:30 to 7 in the outdoor space, and certain bottles of wine are half off. The full dinner menu is available, as well.
Apparently April is National Empanada Month. Celebrate accordingly at Cuba Libre. Image via Shutterstock.
Chef-tacular: The big ticket event this week is Taste of the Nation, Share Our Strength’s fundraiser at the National Building Museum on Monday. A whole host of chefs, bartenders, winemakers, and participating restaurants share bites and sips, all in an effort to end childhood hunger in America. Tickets start at $105 and go up to $150 for VIP access.
Empanada happy hour: April is National Empanada Month (why not?), and Cuba Libre celebrates with a variety of stuffed specials. This Monday is the official “empanada hour,” with $1 empanadas, $5 caipirinhas, and $4 sangria from 4:30 to 6:30 PM.
Mike Isabella with judge Scott Drewno (left) and Proof chef Haidar Karoum (right). Photographs by Jeff Elkins.
Any city that has hosted it will tell you: Cochon 555 is a debaucherous day of pork-rific proportions. At each stop on its national tour, the event challenges five chefs to make the most of one entire heritage breed pig by creating dishes using all of its parts. Meanwhile, wine, beer, and spirits vendors show up to buzzify the pig-eating crowds.
This year’s event in Washington took place on Sunday, April 7, at the Newseum. The chefs participating were Mike Isabella (Graffiato), Bryan Voltaggio (Volt and Range), Kyle Bailey and Tiffany MacIsaac (Birch & Barley), Jeff Buben (Vidalia and Woodward Table), and Haidar Karoum (Proof and Estadio). It must be said: They really rose to the occasion, putting out impressive dishes such as belly pastrami (Isabella), pâté en croûte (Voltaggio), and an Egg McMuffin-like sandwich with a pork-fat muffin and hickory-smoked pork loin (Karoum). Crowds washed down the rich dishes with jarred Manhattans featuring whiskeys from Hudson, Far West, Four Roses, and other distillers, as well as wine, mezcals from Illegal, and digestion-aiding shots from industry darling Fernet Branca.
In the end, Mike Isabella and team were judged the winners of the evening. To relive all the piggy goodness, cruise through our tasty slideshow.
Bibiana chef Nicholas Stefanelli hands out snacks at Cochon 555. The porky party returns on Sunday. Photograph by Jeff Martin.
Greek Easter: So you’ve already eaten ham with your extended family. Why not head over to Zaytinya to try Easter Mediterranean-style? The restaurant hosts an extended festival that runs Monday through May 5, and includes specials dishes, cocktails, and a number of activities. Events this week include a wine dinner on Wednesday with Greek author Aglaia Kremezi and Apostolos Spiropoulos of Spiropoulos Winery ($85 per person), and a cooking class with Kremezi on Thursday ($65 per person). Check the event page for more details.
All About Eve: Both Restaurant Eve and its namesake, chef/owner Cathal Armstrong’s daughter, are celebrating April birthdays and treating other April babies to a complimentary five-course dinner in the tasting room (typically $120 before beverage, tax, and tip). In lieu of payment, guests are asked to bring a gift or check for the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. The deal must be made by calling the restaurant (no online reservations) and mentioning “birthday bash;” it’s not valid for Friday or Saturday nights, and is limited to one person per table in the tasting room. Alcohol and gratuity for the meal are also not included. All that being said, have fun! The special runs through the whole month.
Brasserie Beck, home to these succulent escargots, hosts a Goose Island beer dinner this week. Photograph by Scott Suchman.
Love beer?: If so, this is the week you’ve been waiting for. The annual Craft Brewers Conference—a trade show geared toward professionals in the industry—comes to Washington this week, and plenty of bars and restaurants are hosting beer tastings, parties, and dinners for the public during the conference. If you don’t see your favorite beer bar below, it’s worth calling over to see what’s on tap.
Passover feasts and wines: Monday marks the start of Passover this year, and there are plenty of options for the holiday. Cooking at home? Wine expert Michael Dumas has tips for picking the best kosher wines. Rather dine out? A number of restaurants host Seder meals, from five-course feasts to casual affairs with specials such as Manischewitz sangria and matzo-ball soup.
Wild ales and punk rock brew: On Monday, anyone interested in wild ales can head over to Meridian Pint beginning at 5 for a number of draft and bottle pours of the natural stuff, as well as a discussion with Charles Psenka of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. More interested in rocking out? The downstairs basement bar plays host to the East Coast vs. West Coast Punk Rock Brew Tour starting at 7, with craft brews from both sides of the country and plenty of music.
