Table to Table: The Week in Food Events

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.

Wednesday, October 14
Why should your kids have all the chocolatey fun on Halloween? Trick-or-treat without leaving your seat by reserving a place at Rosa Mexicano’s Chocolate Festival tasting dinner. The evening, which kicks off at 6:30 at the National Harbor location (153 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill), features a cocoa-inspired four-course feast with cocktail pairings. Reservations for the $55-a-person event can be made only through the restaurant’s Web site. And no, you can’t bring a plastic jack-o’-lantern bucket to bring your loot home.

Thursday, October 15
Dust off your gardening gloves and get ready for a veg-tastic time with Market Salamander’s “Healing Capabilities of Raw Food” cooking class. Learn how to create juices from the garden and blend raw sauces, and hear how unprocessed foods help invigorate the mind and body. A three-course vegetarian dinner follows, preceded by a wine/cocktail reception. On the menu: ricotta cheese with green apple; spiced pumpkin and winter squash with couscous and avocado; and a chocolate-pudding tart. The class/dinner, which begins at 7, is $59 per person. Call 540-687-8011 for more information.

Friday, October 16
The weekly market on the 800 block of I Street, Northwest, may bear the name White House Farmers Market, but Michelle and Barack can pretty much roll out of bed and buy peaches down the street at another place: the first Capital Harvest Farmers Market (1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW) on Friday. From 12:30 to 5, more than 18 local growers will sell fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers as well as meat and seafood. Local chefs Peter Smith of PS7’s and Xavier Deshaves of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, will give cooking demonstrations. The market will open again on November 13 from 1 to 5 and, if all goes according to plan, it’ll become a weekly fixture in 2010.

Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18
The 42nd annual St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival marks the official beginning of oyster season and celebrates the harvest of one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most prized commodities. Where else will $5 admission get you live music and access to oyster shucking and oyster-cookoff competitions plus a variety of seafood vendors? The weekend festivities, held at the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds (42455 Fairgrounds Rd., Leonardtown), kick off on Saturday at 10 and Sunday at 11. Click here for more.

Sunday, October 18
What better way to cure that Saturday-night hangover than by kicking back in Del Ray at Fireflies’ leisurely bluegrass brunch? Sway to the relaxing, unplugged sounds of Big Hillbilly Bluegrass at 11, and choose from fill-ups such as the cowboy breakfast, chicken-fried steak, and mushroom vol-au-vent. All dishes cost less than $15. Call 703-548-7200 for more.