Omakase-style tasting menu at Zentan
Fans of chef Jennifer Nguyen can snag one of four seats for a new omakase-style tasting menu (and we thought Minibar was small). The five-to eight-course meal changes based on available fresh fish and seasonal ingredients; examples of dishes include grilled tiger prawns and rare gilthead sea bream, both shipped directly from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market. Reservations are only offered on Thursdays, starting this week ($65 per person).
Omakase-style cocktails at the Gibson
Sensing a theme? The 14th street cocktail den launches an omakase menu in the second-floor laboratory, where customers can choose drink preferences (the cocktail’s strength, base liquor, and so on) and get a cocktail made to their taste.
Cocktails on the DNV Rooftop
It’s not exactly outdoor drinking weather, but the DNV Rooftop at the Donovan House Hotel soft-opened this weekend and will serve beer, wine, and cocktails going forward (weather permitting, of course). Look for an official debut with a full food menu in mid-April.
Weekend brunch at Osteria Morini
Just in time for baseball season, here’s yet another reason to head to the Navy Yard area. Chef Matt Adler launches Saturday and Sunday brunch at this Italian waterfront spot (beginning April 5 from 11 to 3). Look for dishes such as ricotta pancakes, rosemary-Parmesan scones, and a shrimp-topped Benedict with Calabrian-chili hollandaise. To pair with your food: DIY mimosas (a bottle of bubbly and carafe of juice) for $36.
Lunch at the Park at Fourteenth
You may know Park as a nightlife spot, but it just launched lunch for the first time. Trinidadian-born chef Lois Spencer put her crowd-favorite jerk chicken wings on the menu—they’re among actor Jamie Foxx’s favorite dishes when he’s in town—as well as blackened salmon salad, curried chicken sandwiches, and more.
The West End Wednesdays dinner series
The good news: West End eateries including Ris, Blue Duck Tavern, Marcel’s, and Westend Bistro have launched a dinner series. The bad news: It’s sold out through April. If and when you get a reservation, the tour involves a stop at each restaurant for bites and beverage pairings ($100 per person).
Mayoral cocktails at the Coupe
Who would you rather vote for: Vincent “French Bikini” Gray or Andy “Left Ear” Shallal? As if the District’s mayoral campaign isn’t already entertaining enough, the Coupe pairs each candidate with a fun cocktail, and guests cast their votes with their drink orders. Voting begins tonight through April 1, with a winner announced on April 2.
Spring cocktails at Blue Duck Tavern
It may still be wintry out, but the Park Hyatt Washington is releasing a spring drink menu in the tavern and lounge. Look for warmish-weather sips such as the tequila-based Pomegranate Cloud and a cherry blossom libation with vodka, Cherry Heering liqueur, and cherry blossom syrup.
A new chef and menu at Grillfish
Chef Kerry Tate steps into the kitchen of this EatWellDC restaurant, bringing a new brunch menu with dishes such as an oyster benedict, fish tacos, and $1 bivalves on the half-shell. New drinks are also on tap, including five types of oyster shooters and build-you-own Bloodys.
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.
