Monday, April 18
Indulge in tastes from many of Washington's top Japanese restaurants at the Relief International fundraising dinner and auction at CityZen. Dishes include smoked Arctic char with cherry-blossom leaf (Sushi Taro), miso-marinated short ribs with garlic fried rice (CityZen), and Kurobuta-pork buns (Kaz Sushi Bistro). A silent and live auction offers the chance to win foodie gifts such as a set of limited-edition Thomas Keller MAC knives or a two-night trip to San Francisco and Napa.The evening runs from 6 to 9, and proceeds from tickets ($250) will support those affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Click here for tickets and more information.
Columbia Firehouse's hearty bison short-rib stroganoff hits the big screen—and maybe your plate—at a viewing party for the Food Network show Meat & Potatoes. Host Rahm Fama toured the country in search of meaty delicacies and deemed the stroganoff as a worthy pick. There will be discounted beer and wine at the bar until closing. Call 703-683-1776 for more information.
Tuesday, April 19
PlanEat, a documentary about three men's quests for a diet that benefits human and environmental health, screens tonight at the AFI Silver Theater. The film is part of AFI’s Do Something Reel film festival, which runs through tomorrow. Tickets for the 6:20 showing ($8) can be bought here; watch the movie trailer here.
Wednesday, April 20
Party like it's 1976 at L'Auberge Chez François, which celebrates the 35th anniversary of its move to its current location in Great Falls by offering a 50 percent discount on all wines in the cellar, including vintage selections. Call 703-759-3800 for reservations.
The Kimpton hotels and their restaurants celebrate Earth Week with a host of environmentally focused dining events. Stop in at Helix Lounge from 5:30 to 7:30 tonight for Cocktails for Conservation, a benefit for the Potomac Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land ($20 per person). Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres are made with organic and sustainable ingredients (e-mail jaclyn.randolph@kimptonhotels.com for reservations).
Over at Poste, chef Rob Weland will roast a heritage pig from Eco-Friendly Foods in the courtyard from 5:30 to 8, with ticket proceeds—$20 per person for a tasting portion and beer or wine—going to the FreshFarm markets and Washington Youth Garden. Call 202-783-6060 for reservations.
Virginians can get their pork fix at another al fresco pig roast ($35 per person), held at Jackson 20 from 6 to 10:30. The theme here is Southern comfort: there will be Dorsey Farm pulled pork shoulder and ribs; corn bread; coleslaw; and happy-hour-priced craft beers. Call 703-842-2790 for reservations.
Conservationist/chef Barton Seaver teams up with chef Xavier Deshayes at DC's National Aquarium (1400 Constitution Ave., NW; 202-482-2825) for a cocktail reception, dinner, and discussion of Seaver's new cookbook, For Cod and Country.There will be a three-course seafood dinner that highlights American sturgeon. Dishes include spot prawns with aioli; pan-seared sturgeon with pinot noir sauce; and white asparagus salad with candied salmon and sturgeon-caviar vinaigrette (see the full menu here). Spaces at the dinner—$79 per person for aquarium members, $89 for nonmembers—can be reserved by calling 202-789-2782. Click here for more information.
Forget waiting for a table at your favorite brunch spot and learn to whip up your own morning meal at Zola Wine + Kitchen's brunch-cooking class. Participants work their way through recipes for blueberry-muffin French toast, crabcake Benedict, ponzu-cured smoked salmon, and of course, a Bloody Mary. The class starts at 6:30 and is $75 per person. Click here to reserve.
Wednesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 21
James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz of Miami's Michael's Genuine Food & Drink visits Washington for the debut of his new cookbook, Michael's Genuine Food: Down-to-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat. Wednesday from 4 to 7 at Urbana, there will be a spread of complimentary hors d’oeuvres from the cookbook, including kingfish escabeche, deviled eggs, and shiitake-mushroom-and-Gruyère pizza.
Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 at Proof, there will be a book signing and more gratis eats, such as crispy gnudi, grouper ceviche, and chicken-liver crostini. Both events are free.
Thursday, April 21
3 Bar & Grill celebrates the opening of its patio with a party and pig roast. The menu includes fresh-off-the-pig pulled-pork sandwiches ($5), bacon on a stick ($5), bacon Bloody Marys ($5), and $3 draft beers and $5 glasses of wine. Proceeds from the event, from 4 to 8, benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Call 703-524-4440 for more information.
Michel Richard's latest restaurant, Michel, hosts the Spring Hope benefit for St. Jude Children's Hospital along with Tysons Galleria and the Ritz-Carlton. Starting at 2:30, guests can sample such dishes as tuna tartare; crab spring rolls; gougeres; and salmon terrine. Saks Fifth Avenue will preview spring and summer fashion. Call Brenda O'Malley to RSVP, 703-351-5171, or e-mail brenna.omalley@stjude.org.
Friday, April 22
To celebrate Earth Day, The Butcher's Block is holding a free "earth-friendly" winetasting from 6 to 8. Manager Pamela Doherty will talk about the different kinds of environmentally friendly growing methods and what each certification (organic, biodynamic) means. Click here for more information.
Saturday, April 23
Northside Social (3211 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-465-0145) pastry chef Rob Valencia leads a beginner's hands-on bread baking class. Valencia will teach how to make five breads from the Northside Social menu, including brioche two ways, sourdough, schwarzbrot, honey-I
PA-beer bread, and Pullman wheat. Participants will take home a sourdough starter. The class—$50 per person—begins at noon. Call 703-465-0145 to reserve a spot.
At BLT Steak, chef Victor Albisu will demonstrate how to break down a whole pig and use its parts.The class ends with a four-course lunch of dishes from the class such as roast suckling pig, crispy pig’s ears with artichokes, and chorizo-stuffed pork loin. The class—$100 per person—runs from 12:30 to 3.Call Erica Frank at 202-689-8989 for information and reservations.
Sunday, April 24
Happy Easter! Check out our guide to find out which restaurants are serving special meals and what's on the menu.
For those who love lamb, Zaytinya’s two-week Easter celebration runs today through May 8. Chef Mike Costa’s special menu includes such dishes as grilled leg of lamb with artichokes, braised lamb belly with preserved lemon, and lamb sausage with fingerling potatoes. A ten-course menu is available for $105 per couple, and a five-course menu is $55. You’ll find the full menu here. For those looking for more casual fare, a lamb sandwich cart on the patio will offer $8 spit-roasted lamb sandwiches in pita with tzatziki and pickled onions (picnic-style seating is available). Click here for more.
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
Follow the Best Bites Bloggers on Twitter at twitter.com/bestbitesblog
More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
