Unlimited paella and sangria: Jaleo Bethesda launches a new Monday promotion this week: bottomless paella plus salad and flan for $25. Diners can also add unlimited sangria for $15.
Flight club: Wine at Bourbon Steak beats basement boxing anytime. House sommelier Julian Mayor competes with Neighborhood Restaurant Group wine director Brent Kroll to see who can choose the best pairings for a five-course tasting menu, starting at 6. Reservations are $100 per person.
Dogs and drinks: Head to the Loews Madison Hotel with your four-legged friend for a “yappy hour” on Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30. Treats and drinks for dogs and humans alike will be available, as well as items from local pet businesses such as Wylie Wagg and Barkley Square. Partial process go to City Dogs Rescue. Admission is free, but online RSVPs are encouraged.
Fly like a dog: The Daily Dish teams up with Flying Dog for a dinner on Tuesday at 6:30, where a five-course menu is served with five different brews ($65 per person). Reservations are required, and include giveaways like work by artist Jim Ritter and Washington Nationals tickets.
Women and whiskey: Join your favorite brown liquor-loving ladies at Roofers Union on Thursday for a Catoctin Creek whiskey tasting. Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley pairs small plates with three of the local distillery’s whiskeys, and Booze for Babes author Kayleigh Kulp will discuss the spirits alongside Catoctin co-owner Becky Harris. Tickets are $45 and include a copy of the book.
Have an “epicurience”: Here’s some food-loving fun for your Labor Day weekend. Epicurience Virginia, a food and wine festival cohosted by Saveur magazine, runs Friday through Sunday at Morven Park in Leesburg. The lineup of events includes local wine, beer, cheese, and cider tastings, chef demos, cookbook signings, and more. Tickets start at $85 for general admission, $125 for VIP.
Sweet tasting: RareSweets, the sugar shop set to open in CityCenterDC this fall, holds a pre-opening affogato tasting at La Colombe on Friday from 1 to 4. Drop by for the Italian specialty, which combines the shop’s espresso with scoops of RareSweets’s ice creams in milk chocolate, vanilla bean, dark caramel, and other flavors ($3 each).
Pie contest: The fifth annual Bake Bethesda Pie Contest goes down at 9 on Sunday morning at the Bethesda Central Farm Market. Kids, adults, and local culinary students can enter in their respective categories by Wednesday for a chance to compete. A panel of judges will choose the winner, and pie sampling begins shortly after (with a recommended donation to the Manna Food Center).
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.
