Friday
Buttercream Bakeshop at Cork Market
1805 14th St., NW
Start your weekend on a sweet note with creative treats from pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac, who brings desserts from her new Alexandria bakery to 14th Street. Pick up treat boxes with the likes of pumpkin whoopie pies, Fruity Pebbles cookies, Mexican-chocolate marshmallows, and more from 11 to 7, when you can also sample sweets-friendly wines and bubbly. Preorders have closed for cakes, but you can still snag them at a second pop-up next Friday.
2201 14th St., NW
This weekend is likely your last chance to sample Mike Isabella’s Mexican fare from the upcoming Pepita Cantina before the restaurant opens in Ballston. Drop by Friday and Saturday evening for a four-course menu ($40 per person) with dishes such as red snapper ceviche, barbecued lamb tacos, chocolate tres leches cake, and plenty of margaritas.
Nonna’s Kitchen at Alphonse
1212 U St., NW
Eater DC brings word that U Street’s newest Italian market/cafe is launching a tasting menu on Friday ($90 per person). Chef Justus Frank, formerly of Fiola, serves rustic dishes from various regions of Italy alongside wine and cocktail pairings. The reservation-only meal will run Tuesday through Saturday going forward.
Saturday
More tacos! (See above)
Late-night chef-tacular at Daikaya Izakaya
705 Sixth St., NW
Skip the bar crawl and head to this Penn Quarter izakaya between 11 PM and 1 AM for an impromptu gathering of big talents: Daikaya chef/co-owner Katsuya Fukushima, Jonah Kim (formerly of Pabu), Bar Pilar’s Jesse Miller, Danny Lee (Mandu), and Vermilion’s Will Morris. On the à-la-carte menu: great late-night fare such as Korean fried chicken, lamb belly and guanciale stew over rice, Filipino pork belly with pig ears and tofu, and “cup-o-pancit,” a cup of noodles with fried salted shrimp. Save room for bungeoppang (cakes shaped like fish) with soft-serve.
Sunday
Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. at Union Market
1309 Fifth St., NE
The popular biscuit slinger sets up shop for an unspecified time at Union Market starting this week. Look for Southern-style biscuits with sausage gravy and eggs, fried chicken biscuit sandwiches, fresh rounds with pepper jelly, and more. The stall opens at 8 Thursday through Sunday, and serves until the biscuits run out.
550 Penn St., NE
While you’re in the neighborhood, get a taste of the District’s first new Filipino restaurant before it debuts in Columbia Heights. Chef Tom Cunanan serves a merienda (snack-time) meal between 3:30 and 6 with dishes like ukoy, sweet potato-shrimp fritters, and lumpiang, crispy spring rolls. During the pop-up, Dolcezza serves Filipino-inspired gelato and sorbetto.
3720 14th St., NW
Can’t get enough biscuits? Don’t forget about this ongoing pop-up in Columbia Heights, which serves from 11 to 3 on Sundays. On the menu: drop biscuits, egg sandwiches, and a “redneck Benedict” with poached eggs and gravy.
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.
