Free apps: The Diner reopens Monday after a brief closure to remodel the 13-year-old space. Head there between 4 and 7 for a look at the digs and a taste of the new cocktails and food. Free appetizers will be served.
Bar chefs: The final installment of Chefs Behind Bars happens on Monday at the Gryphon from 6 to 8:30. The competition benefiting No Kid Hungry pits eight chefs against one another in a challenge to whip up the tastiest cocktail. Tickets are $40, and include sips of all eight drinks.
Boozy dinner: Devil’s Backbone Brewery and Catoctin Creek Distillery are behind a beer-and-whiskey dinner at Graffiato on Monday from 7 to 10, which features a menu of Italian small plates. Tickets are $97.50, all-inclusive.
Drink Mediterranean: Wine director James Horn uses the Coravin system to pour rare vinos at G on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8, showcasing Italian and Greek varietals alongside shareable antipasti platters. Tickets are $65.
No silverware allowed: The F**k Forks fundraiser makes a splashy return on Thursday at 6 with a fleet of big-name chefs, bartenders, and deejays. Industree’s benefit for F**k Cancer is the first event held in Brookland’s food incubator, Mess Hall, so you can take in all the finger foods and booze while admiring the new space. Tickets are $80 for general admission, $130 for VIP.
Farm fundraiser: Jackson 20 hosts Soil & Soul on Friday, a seasonal food-fest benefiting the Old Town Alexandria farmer’s market SNAP Dollar Matching Program. Local restaurants such as Brabo and Society Fair serve bites, while the cash bar includes Virginia wines, brews, and farm-inspired cocktails. Several market vendors will also participate. Tickets are $35, or $40 at the entrance.
Gourd season: The Black Squirrel celebrates autumn with the Smashing Pumpkin Fest on Friday at 5. Pumpkin beers flow from 15 tap lines, and a variety of dishes star the orange gourd, including soup and mac and cheese. There’s even a pumpkin ice cream float. Admission is free.
Oktoberfest bash: One of the area’s biggest Oktoberfest celebrations goes down on Saturday from noon to 7, courtesy of Capitol City Brewing Company. A projected crowd of 10,000 samples beers from 65 mid-Atlantic breweries at the Village of Shirlington location, served alongside Germanic eats like brats and soft pretzels. Admission is $30 for drinkers, which includes a glass and ten drink tickets (kids and designated drivers enter free).
Laugh your dumplings off: One of the best weekend events goes down at the Source on Saturday from 11 to 1, where nationally acclaimed comedians Tig Notaro and Jena Friedman join chef Scott Drewno for a hands-on dumpling class followed by a family-style brunch. The afternoon session is part of Brightest Young Things’ Bentzen Ball comedy fest, which is worth checking out even when there aren’t edibles involved. Tickets for the brunch ($75) benefit the George Washington Mobile Mammography Unit.
Play at the table: The newly opened Shake Shack Tysons starts a table tennis league on Saturday at 3. Admission is free and open to the public, but only 16 slots are available for the tournament. Gratis Shack wristbands and shades are given to all, as well as food and drink specials throughout the day.
Bloody battle: Del Campo launches a new brunch menu this weekend–which includes an all-you-can-eat option for $45–and throws a Bloody Mary throwdown on Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 to mark the occasion. Tickets are $45 and include the meal, and samples of Bloodys from Graffiato, Mandu, and more. That crazy octopus concoction pictured above is available for the brave.
Find Anna Spiegel on Twitter at @annaspiegs.
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.
